The Child Who Knew Nothing
by OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg
Summary: "Oi, Yuu! You better come see this!", Lavi exclaimed. Kanda groaned as he pushed himself from underneath the remenants of what used to be a wall. Grudgingly, he walked towards the stupid usagi's voice, squinting through the dust. Slowly a large ornate cage came into view, inside was a pale, malnourished young girl. "Can we keep her!", Lavi exclaimed. Today was not a good day...
1. Prologue

**GREETINGS FELLOW FANFIC FANS! I AM GLAD TO SAY...I AM BACK! IF YOU'VE READ MY PERCY JACKSON FANFIC...(OR DIDN'T, ITS ALL GOOD..)...THEN YOU PROBS NOTICED THAT IVE KINDA STOPPED WRITING, I BLAME IT ON SCHOOLWORK! BUT REALLY, ITS ON INDEFINITE HIATUS UNTIL I CAN GET THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING AGIAN FOR MIA AND HER WOLF CREW.**

**ANYWAYS, HERE IS MY NEXT PROJECT...WHICH THIS TIME I WON'T COMPLETELY NEGLECT IT..I HOPE..JKJK, I'LL TRY MY BEST. THIS TIME SCHOOL'S GONNA BE MY BITCH AND I'LL BE IT'S PIMP LOL.**

**ANYWAYS...AGIAN...I'VE DECIDED TO GIVE A SHOT AT WRITING MY FIRST MAN FANFIC...AFTER HAVING A OC FOR THE PAST YEAR...I MAY HAVE BEEN LAZY WRITING WISE, BUT I'VE DRAWN UP A LOT...LIKE UNHEALTHY, ALOT...KINDA LIKE MY UNHEALTHY AMOUNT OF "..." I LIKE TO USE...**

**ewe**

**SERIOUSLY, I HOPE YOU GUYS ADORE MY OC AS MUCH AS I HAVE COME TO OBSESS WITH HER, LOL. AND I HOPE THAT I CAN GET REALLY GOOD CRITIQUES FROM YOU GUYS, CAUSE THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL WITH MY WRITING.**

***I DO NOT OWN MAN AND ALL OF IT'S GLORY...(BUT I WISH I OWNED KANDA'S ASS ;P)***

**ENJOY ^W^**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**Prologue:**

It was a typical night in the streets of high-class London. The flickering glow from the ornate oil-lamp posts reflected vibrantly on the puddles that were along the curbs of the road. The grand mansions and manors gave and almost overwhelming aura of superiority, as if their opulence were competing with one another.

Even though it was extremely late into the evening, the figures of late-night partygoers could still be seen through their illuminated windows. Their soft array of their music and carefree laughter disturbed the overall silence of the night...

Except for one.

Tucked away in the far corner of the street, surrounded by an ornate iron wrought fence, was a rather humble Manor. It was smaller than the others and had a sleek and simple in design. Unlike the others, it did not contribute to the soft chatter that echoed through the night air.

Except the master bedroom deep within it's residence, where muffled cries of agony could be heard outside its doors. A tall, gangly man paced back and forth along the dim lighted hall, nervously wringing his necktie with his thin fingers.

One could call him handsome, his blonde hair was pushed out of his face, revealing straight, noble features. His extremely light brown eyes hid nothing within their depths, as a mixture of worry and an almost child-like excitement bubbled to their surface. However, the anxious man had a sickly complexion and had light purple bags underneath his eyes. It was obvious that this man did not have a strong constitution.

He continued to pace, anxiously waiting for the arrival of the treasure that he and his wife tried for so long for, wincing at the cries from his wife.

His name was Charles Broker, the head of Broker Enterprises, which dealt with trade all over the world. His family was notorious for having strong men as the head of their company. However, as the result of his constant sickly constitution, he and his wife have tried in vain for many years to have a child...

An heir to the Broker legacy.

Although, he and his wife couldn't care less about gender, all they wanted was a healthy baby of their own.

Charles shivered with anticipation as he continued to pace in front of the door...

It had been a few hours now...

It should be over soon.

Suddenly, the cries of his wife stopped. Charles ceased pacing as he stopped in front of the door. Cautiously, he leaned forward, as he tried to press his ear against the dark wood that taunted his since his love went into labor. The door abruptly opened, revealing the exhausted face of the doctor.

Charles immediately pushed past him as he all but ran to his wife's side, totally oblivious to the doctor's melancholy expression as he silently moved to the back of the room.

He froze, when her limp figure came into view. The sheets tangled around her legs were stained with crimson...

Too much to be good.

Her normally perfect straight, black hair clung to her sweaty forehead, contrasting with her deathly pale skin, which was usually flushed with life. In her arms was a small pink bundle, she clutched it to her chest, as if afraid to let it go. A sense of dread started to spread throughout his body, chilling his heart.

"D-dd-dearest...", he whispered as he pushed the stray hairs out of her face, "Come on, you did it, we're a family now...please open your eyes...". Her pale lips twitched as she mouthed something too quite to hear.

He bent down, desperate to hear her loving voice again. Her lips brushed his ear as she tried to make herself audible.

As if she were summoning her remaining strength, she said, "A-aar". Charles bent down even lower, his whole body starting to shake. "What dear?...".

Her eyes opened, but the cobalt depths were dull, as if the life was being sucked out of them.

"Arianna...", she said, determination laced throughout her voice as she weakly passed the small bundle of blankets to Charles. She smiled sadly as she relaxed against the stained sheets and let out a large sigh...

and she was still.

Charles shook as he desperately tried to stay strong, with the long-awaited child that he and his love treasured securely in his arms. The doctor sighed as he tried to place his hand on Charles's shoulder to comfort him, but he pulled away from his touch violently. Whipping around, the doctor was faced with the cold, broken glare of Charles Broker. The almost murderous intent sent an icy chill down the doctors spine.

"You killed her!", he snarled as he rounded on the doctor, who retreated in shock. Charles was a kind gentleman who would never hurt a fly, but here he was, looking as if he was going to kill him then and there.

"I-I-I did everything I could, I couldn't stop the bleeding.", he stuttered, as he started to sweat under Charle's piercing glare. The doctor raised his arms in surrender as Charles continued to advance towards the extremely unnerved doctor.

"lies! I trusted you!", he hissed, tears running down his face as he clutched at the pink bundle pressed against his chest. The soft whimpers coming from the bundle broke from his violent trance. He turned away from the doctor, straightening his posture as he coo'ed at his child, gently rocking her back and forth.

Though the doctor could see his figure trembling with grief as he whispered loving words to his newborn. The pitiful sight tugged at the doctor's heartstrings, composing himself, he pressed his hand onto Charles's shoulder in another effort to comfort him. To his relief, he didn't pull away from his touch this time.

"I'm so sorry, Charles...I did everything I could, please forgive me.", the doctor said soothingly, the lines on his forehead more prominent as he frowned. Charles's didn't turn around, he didn't even look at him as he said, "Just go...", in a final, broken voice.

Knowing that anything that he said would be ignored, the doctor quietly left the room. As he took one last look at the grieving man who held his child as if it were his life line, and the now still woman who lied on the bed, he closed the door silent behind him.

"I am sorry..." he whispered, as he clumsily pulled on his overcoat and continued to walk in defeat down the dimly lit hall, and out of sight.

* * *

A few days, a small funeral was held for 's beloved.

It was a small gathering, consisting of the small amount of living relatives the pair had and only their closest friends. They all gathered around the large willow tree in the backyard where their deceased loved one was going to be put to rest. The smooth casket was white, with ornate carvings lined with silver, it seemed to glow with a heavenly luster in the black atmosphere as it was lowered into the ground.

The soft cries of the audience filled the air. From the corner of his eye, Charles could see his wife's best friend weeping into her fiance's shirt as he wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her. A pang of longing filled his heart.

He missed her laugh, the way it seemed to take all of his troubles away.

He missed her eyes, the way they revealed every emotion.

God, he missed her so much...

He barely heard his friend's condolences as they slowly left, as he continued to stare at the polished stone of his wife...

The mother of his child's, grave.

Arianna stirred in her black blankets, her light grey eyes looked up at him with such innocence that should be criminal. She reached out to him, as she tried to take one of his gloved fingers in her tiny hand. That broke him from his trance, he smiled down at her and held her tighter.

He took a last glance at his wife's grave.

Then turned to stride towards the carriage that awaited them as he held Arianna securely in his arms, his black coat flowing behind him in the wind.

* * *

It was late into the evening, and Charles sat tiredly at his desk as he tried to sort through the many documents for his company. The soft light of his lamp, illuminated his pale face, highlighting the darker shadows that were underneath his eyes.

After hours of staring at the papers, unable to comprehend their meaning, he threw them to the floor. He sighed, sitting back into his chair, as he ran his hands through his hair in a frustrated way. A small whimper came from Arianna, Charles froze and stared at her crib in the corner of his study, but to his relief she just turned in her sleep.

"If only she was here, she would encourage him like she always did.",

"If she was here, she would have laughed as she helped him with his work.",

"If she was here, she would love him.",

"If she was here, Arianna would have a mother...",

Arianna...

She was the only thing keeping him sane now.

She is the reason he is fighting...

Or at least trying to...

"If only..."

he thought, as he rest his head on his desk, his normally neat hair sprawled on its surface. As he started to push himself up, his hand brushed a envelope. Curious, he sat back into his chair as he slowly opened it's wax seal and pulling it's contents out. The elegant handwriting seemed to jump off the parchment...

**_I CAN BRING HER BACK,_**

**_JUST COME BACK TO HER GRAVE AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, AND YOU CAN BE REUNITED WITH YOUR BELOVED!_**

**_I'LL BE WAITING! 3_**

**_~THE MELLENIUM EARL~_**

He stared at the letter, unable to believe its contents. He threw it to the ground in disgust, it had to be some sick joke.

He tried to ignore the discarded letter, which sharply contrasted with the dark wood floors. But his fingers betrayed him as he bent down and picked up the piece of parchment.

What would he have to lose if he did go?...

Nothing really...

he looked up at the clock...

11:30...

It's not like he was going to get any sleep anyways. And if he were to meet this person he could punch him...

Charles sighed, as he looked unconsciously back at Arianna, her small angelic face free from worry. He inwardly thought of how long would that last...

How long could she remain happy.

She needed a mother...

A twinge of hope started to ignite in his chest. If this millenium earl could bring her back...

Everything would be ok! Charles smiled, his brown eyes seemed to glaze over as he fantasized about being reuniting with his love.

He would go.

He had to try.

Slowly rising from his chair he pulled on the same black coat he had worn to the funeral. He walked towards the door, he paused as his hand touched the brass doorknob. Taking one last look at Arianna, he smiled.

"We'll be right back, Ari.", he said softly, sounding as if he was starting to truly believe that statement.

Then he walked out of the door.

* * *

When Charles arrived at his wife's grave, there was someone already waiting for him. The blown up figure of a distorted man, much like a clown held out his hand as he bowed, his ornate top hat clutched in his other hand.

**_"~GREETINGS~_**_"_, he said with a unique voice that Charles had never heard before, he couldn't help but feel chills run down his back. He stood up straighter, trying to mask his uneasy feeling.

"you are the one who sent me the letter?", he asked slowly, apprehensive of the strange man before him.

Suddenly, a umbrella with a pumpkin head came flying towards him, its jackolantern mouth open wide as it shrieked, "Who else would? ~lero~". Charles felt his eyes widen in surprise, he took a few steps back, almost tripping on his own feet in his haste.

"Who are you?", Charles asked, still entranced with the magical umbrella.

The man in the funny overcoat laughed, **_"~THE MELLENIUM EARL, OF COURSE! THIS WAY, THIS WAY!~"_**, he replied in a childish, sing-song way. Charles slowly followed him, until they reached the smooth tombstone of his wife. But instead of the flowers that he was sure that he had left beforehand, stood an ugly iron doll, a purple star on its forehead.

_**"~ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL HER NAME, AND SHE'LL BE BROUGHT BACK FROM THE CLUTCHES OF YOUR DECREPID GOD!~"**_, he sang as he pressed his hands on Charles's shoulders, reassuringly. A broken, crazy smile stretched on Charles's face, all logical thinking gone, he yelled, "COME BACK, AMELIA!", his arms open wide.

Charle's watched with almost child-like facination as Amelia's name appeared underneath the star on the doll's forehead. A soft purple light seemed to surround the doll, as it twitched.

_"C-c-ChArLeS..."_, it said, Charles pulled the doll into a hug, tears running down his face.

"It's really you! Everything's going to be OK!", he cried as he held her tighter. He didn't notice the Millenium Earl Dancing in the background in victory.

_"WhAt HaVe YoU DoNe! YoU'Ve MaDe Me InTo An AkUmA!"_, Charles just held on tighter, "I don't care! We're together!". The Earl smiled wickedly in the background.

**_"~YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO~"_**, he sang sadistically, as he played with his umbrella.

Amelia, the akuma, raised her stubby arms as she screamed in protest, but unable to stop her from bringing them down on Charles's head with a sickening crunch. His broken form slumped to the ground.

Amelia the akuma, was now silent, probably wrought with grief, as she pushed herself into Charles's body, the cracks of his bones giving way echoed through the night.

Charles's body jerked into an upward sitting position, blood running down his face as if they were tears.

**_"~HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY PRECIOUS AKUMA!~"_**, the earl sneered in delight.

Charles's eyes were dead, and unseeing...

* * *

Charle's tall, figure loomed over Arianna. Staring at her with a blank face, his eyes wiped of all emotion. Suddenly, a sadistic smile appeared on his face as he picked her up harshly from her crib. Her large eyes flew open in shock, her light silvery orbs glazing over as she saw Charles's expression. She began to cry, as if she knew that he wasn't his father...

"Charles" ignored her wails as he gripped her tighter, the crazed smile never leaving his face.

_"HeLlO My ChIlD! I Am YoUr FaThEr!"_, he sang, much like the man who had created him.

Arianna screamed louder, tears running down her tiny face...

She **knew**,

She could **feel,**

That her **"father"** had become something...

**_ EVIL_**

* * *

**HOW WAS THAT! **

**HONESTLY IT WAS HARD TO WRITE AT FIRST, BUT THEN I PUT ON SAD PIANO MUSIC AND IT ALL CAME TO ME LOL**

**IM PROBABLY GOING TO UNDATE THIS EVERY MONDAY BECAUSE I'LL BE GONE DURING THE WEEKENDS WITH THE FAM. AND THEN DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, I'LL BE ABLE TO WRITE.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! OR I'LL SICK "CHARLES" ON YOU...TOO SOON? ^_^'**

***FEEL FREE TO PM ME YOUR OC AND I'LL TRY TO FIT THEM IN LATER ONCE I GET THIS BALL ROLLING***

**BYE BYE 3,**

**~OmGiStHatAduMpLiNg~**


	2. Chapter 1: Childhood

**HI AGAIN! THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO INTRODUCE MORE OF MY OC, ARIANNA SO THAT YOU CAN GET A BIGGER PICTURE OF HER LIFE...AT LEAST BEFORE THE SHE MEETS THE PEEPS. **

**I HOPE YOU WON'T MIND THAT THE SEXY TRIO WON'T BE COMING UNTIL LATER CHAPTERS...**

***I DO NOT OWN MAN AND KANDA'S SEXY ASS.***

**ANYWAYS...**

**ENJOY 3**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Childhood**

"Charles" sat in his study, writing letters, approving documents in an inhuman speed, his eyes not even looking at the papers as he wrote. His appearance was the same as that day, his "birthday", dressed all in black with his coat draped on the back of his chair. The deep, purple bags beneath his eyes never left, the same with his pale complexion.

It's been exactly two years since that day, and during that time, "Charles" had become completely devoted to his work. He never went out, or contacted anybody unless it had to deal with buisness...

And seeing that he mainly communicated with his partners with letters, he has never been seen outside of the house for a very long time

That's not all that has changed, before Amelia's death, the manor never had real employees...

She liked to do the housework, she said that it kept her entertained. But now there were several maids that patrolled the elegant hallways. They all had the same blank, emotionless stare.

They continued their work, in the same inhuman speed as "Charles". Suddenly, they all froze, the pentacle on their forehead revealing themselves as the veins around their eyes bulged in a grotesque way.

**_"~IT'S TIME MY PRETTIES, YOUR MELLENIUM EARL IS COMING!~", _**rang through their minds.

As soon as their true master's voice left, the servants walked outside and lined the pathway from the fence to the door. "Charles" ceased working and left his papers in a neat tower, he gracefully grabbed his coat on the way out the door.

Outside, a luxurious carriage pulled up at the gate by a strangely dressed boy. He had long, wavy blonde hair which framed his childish face, and on top of his head was a headband that resembled something like angular fish lure.

His innocent, child-like, golden eyes was lined with black makeup, seven black stigmas lined his forehead, and real stitches lined his mouth. Although they didn't seem to impair his speaking abilities as he exclaimed excitedly,

"~We're here!~ heeheehe".

The boy immediately dropped his hold on the carriage and flounced off. All of the servants remained poker-faced as they quickly bowed in respect, universally saying in monotone-like voices, "Welcome Sir Noahs, and miss Noah.".

The door of the carriage swung open, as a young girl with spiky blue hair gracefully jumped out, twirling a distressed Lero on her finger. Her Lolita styled dress bounced with her every move, as she observed her surroundings with the same golden eyes as the boy.

"Hmmm...interesting place...", she said in a bored tone, which immediately lit up as she continued to say, "When do I get to meet my new play thing?".

She greedily looked up to the manor, and started to walk to the door. But a hand pulled her back.

"Damn it, Road! Are you saying that the reason you dragged us here was to see your new toy?!", exclaimed a pissed off voice. Road smirked as she turned to face the elder twin of the blonde, who had a very similar style as his brother (minus the headband and stitches).

"~Maybe~", she said in a sing-song voice, her lips turned up in a smirk, her hands on her hips...

The raven-haired twin's eye twitched. He was about to launch himself at Road when the white glove of the Millenium Earl caught him by the collar.

"_**~TUT, TUT DEBBITO. THIS IS A FAMILY EFFORT~**_", he chided as he started to drag him towards the door.

"THAT IS BULL! THEN WHERE THE HELL IS TYKI OR SHERIL?!", Debitto screamed as he struggled to get free.

"_**~THEY'RE BUSY~", **_the Earl responded nonchalantly as he tightened his grasp_**,**__**"~COME NOW, WE CAN'T HAVE 'CHARLES' AND YOUR NEW FIANCEE WAITING!~**_".

Debbito stared at the Earl, a look of absolute horror and disgust on his face.

Road laughed manically as she skipped ahead, while the earl continue to drag the struggling form of Debbito behind them.

* * *

Unfortunately for Debbito, he could not escape the Earl's grasp and soon found himself tied to a chair at the dining table. His brother, the traitor, was sitting next to him playing with his food like nothing was wrong.

He seethed as Road kept sending him smug looks while she daintily ate her main course. What was worse, was that since he was tied up...

He couldn't even eat the damn food in front of him!

Debbito's golden eyes latched on to the Millenium Earl, glaring at him with such intensity that he should have burst into flames. From the corner of his eye, he could see his brother look at him warily, nervous, but excited at the same time...

The prick, he's the one not getting married to some brat!

"Why the hell to I have to marry Charles's brat?!", he shouted, a vein poping on his forehead, finally tired of the silent treatment his family was giving him.

Road just continued play with her spoon, the same sick, entertained smug on her face. While Jasdero fidgeted in his seat.

**_"~NOW, NOW DEBBY!~_**", chimed the Earl as he waved is spoon at him in a chastising way, "_**~THINK ABOUT 'CHARLES'S' FEELINGS!**_~", he sang, gesturing to the emotionless man in the background.

If it were possible, the vein in Debbito's forehead grew even bigger.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT THING OR IT'S OFFSPRING!", he yelled as he pulled against the ropes. Unfortunately for him, this caused his chair to lean too far forward and to face-plant into his food.

Road laughed comically, as she starting kicking her legs and holding her stomach. Jasdero couldn't help but laugh a little too, but helped his brother from suffocating in his food.

"~All clean, all clean! Hee hee hee~", he sang as he wiped off his brother's face. He could tell that Debbito was going to shout again, so he stuffed the napkin in his mouth to temporarily gagging him.

Road placed her head in her hands, finished with her laughing fit, she now wore an expression of slight annoyance.

"Debbito, stop being a whining brat!", she scolded, waving her finger at him like she would a child. Debbito spouted muffled insults in response.

"**~__****R**OAD'S RIGHT, THAT IS ENOUGH DEBBITO.~", the Earl said, finality in his voice. Jasdero looked at his brother sheepishly, knowing that the Earl was right.

"**_~ANYWAYS, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD MY BRILLIANT PLAN IN THE MAKING!~_**", he sang, cheerfully clapping his hands together.

Debbito grumbled in response, but otherwise was now listening. Road grinned in anticipation, nearly bouncing out of her chair.

"_**~WELL, AS YOU KNOW, 'CHARLES' HERE, IS THE HEAD OF THE LARGEST TRADE COMPANY IN THE WORLD TO DATE!~**_", the Earl began, seriousness laced throughout his voice. Debbito grunted as a sign that he was listening.

The Earl took that sign and continued, "**_~MY PLAN, IS TO LINK THE NOAH FAMILY TO THE BROKERS THROUGH MARRIAGE, THAT'S WHERE YOU COME IN! IN DOING SO, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPREAD OUR INFLUENCE AROUND THE WORLD WITH EASE!~_**".

The Earl crossed his arms, looking as if he had just announced his discovery of the lost city of Atlantis, "_**~AND THE BLACK ORDER WON'T SUSPECT A THING!~".**_

Now Jasdero looked confused, "But why would he have to marry, isn't Charles~chan enough?", he asked as he cocked his head to the side like a puppy. Debbito grumbled in agreement.

Road sighed, rolling her eyes, in a way that definitely implied that they were being idiots.

"Isn't obvious, the Earl can't use Charles forever, people would suspect. It would be easier to just use the remaining bloodline to our advantage. That way there'd be no way back!", she said slowly, as if explaining it to a bunch of toddlers.

"**_~VERY GOOD, ROAD! BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!~_**", he said, dramatically waving his arms, "**_~WE WILL MAKE THIS GIRL ABSOLUTELY LOYAL TO US~_**".

"But, how are we gonna do that? ~hee hee~", Jasdero chimed in, his brother nodded in agreement.

**_"~EASY, SHE VISITS ONCE A YEAR, AND WE MAKE SURE THAT SHE FEELS LOVED AND CHERISHED~", _**the Earl said as he played with his spoon,**_"~WHILE FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, SHE'D BE HERE ALL ALONE AND WE'D MAKE SURE THAT SHE'D FEEL UNLOVED.~"._**

"That way, once she's 16, she'll be desperate to leave her family and come running to us! We'll be everything she'll know!", Road sang, her golden eyes sparked in amusement.

Now that it was all explained and done, Jasdero removed his brothers gag. Debbito still glared at the Earl, but couldn't help but agree that this was a smart idea for the family.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?", he blankly stated in defeat. Road smiled, twirling a lock of her blue hair between her fingers.

"~Nope~", she said, making sure to 'pop' the 'p' and continued, "Your getting hitched!".

Debbito sighed, his brother on the other hand, looked excited.

"Can we see her? ~hee~", he exclaimed, his head-bobble bouncing in anticipation.

"Charles" finally spoke, there was no emotion in his voice.

"Of course."

* * *

Debbito still disapproved of the Earl's plan, but nether the less, found himself walking behind him as the group followed "Charles" deeper into the manor.

_**Make her feel loved, what complete** **bullshit. **_

He thought scathingly as he dragged his feet behind him, completely unaware of their surroundings. They were now walking down a dark stairway, a cold draft immediately hit them, causing the candle in "Charles's" hand to flicker.

Suddenly, they stopped, causing Debitto to lose his balance and run into his brother's back.

"Umph! Watch it, Jasdero!", he exclaimed, rubbing his nose.

"Sorry Debbito! ~hee hee~", Jasdebi replied, looking down at his feet, with a dejected expression. Debitto sighed, he hated when his brother did that.

Road rolled her eyes, "You're the one who should be apologizing, Debbito. You should be watching where your going!", she scoffed as she crossed her arms Debbito glared at her, but met the Earl's disproving gaze.

"Psht...Whatever..", he muttered under his breath as he looked away.

When he finally looked up, he realized that they had come to a stop at a large wooden door with a padlock. "Charles" reached into his coat pocket and retrieved an old-looking key.

Meeting Debitto's curious gaze, he merely responded, "The child's living quarters is in the basement.", as he opened the lock.

Debbito ignored him and stalked inside behind the group.

It was a spacious room with its floors and walls made up of dirty stone. There were no windows, and the only source of light were old oil lamps that cast the room in a faint orange glow.

It was dark, it was damp, and it was cold...

Just what one needed to break a person's spirit.

Jasdero and the others were already crowding around a cage in the corner of the room. The Earl was speaking nonsense, which he recognized as baby talk. So was Road and Jasdero, which made Debbito even more sick than he already was.

His brother turned to look back at him, "Come see, Devi! She's so cute! ~heehee~", he said excitedly as he waved his arms, beckoning him to come over.

Wow, they were really into this plan...

Though, Debbito couldn't help but feel a tiny bit curious. He slowly joined the group, trying to mask his interest as joined his brother's side. From the corner of his eye, he saw Road and the Earl whispering and giggling like stupid school girls as they watched his every move.

He ignored them, and focused on the contents of the cage that was causing his family to be so excited.

Looking up at him was a fair skinned toddler. She had peculiar grey hair that framed her face with short, loose curls that barely reached the bottom of her small ears.

He could see why Road liked her so much already...

She looked like one of her china dolls, especially since she was wearing one of those black, sleeved, baby dresses.

He watched as her small figure tremble at the sight of his family. Her light silver eyes shone with a mixture of fear and childish curiosity, her small pink lips opened in a surprised "O". Her eyes flickered to "Charles" as he silently left the room, closing the door behind them.

At the tender age of two, all that she's ever known was fear. He could tell from the way she was watching them, as if she expected them to hurt her. Also from her reaction to seeing her "father".

As he looked even closer, he saw bandages that peeked from under neath her dress's lacy collar...

'Tch', it wasn't like he cared, he still felt sick to his stomach at the thought of having to marry this cowering baby in the future. Meanwhile, Jasdero coo'ed at her as he leaned over his brother's shoulder, his head-bobble sticking through the bars.

She watched it bob up and down, suddenly entranced with it's glow. Slowly she wobbled forward, reaching for it with her tiny hands. Just as she was about to take it into her grasp, she froze.

Her silver eyes widened with fear, as if she caught herself from doing something horrible. She was about to retract her hands when she met Road's encouraging smile and saw Jasdero's excited expression. The fear in her eyes dimmed slightly as she tentatively touched the small glowing orb, making it bounce up and down.

Debbito swore that his brother was almost dying from excitement, he was practically shaking a soft "~heeeee~" passing through his lips. Meanwhile, Road and the Earl let out loud "~AWWWWWs~".

He, on the otherhand, was practically gagging in his mind.

Distracted by his feelings of disgust, Debbito did not realize how much he had bent down, until she reached out and gently grabbed one of his locks of hair.

He felt his eyes widen in surprise, too shocked to pull away.

He watched as she looked at Jasdero's and Road's smiles, then back to him. Her lips twitched. Slowly, carefully, the toddler imitated his siblings with a small smile.

Road, Jasdero, and the Earl squealed, crushing Lero in a wacky group hug of some sort. Their squeals and awww's brought Debbito out of his trance.

Flushing, he quickly pulled away and stormed through the door, his brother chased after him.

But not before he heard Road shout in a sing-song voice,

"~HER NAME'S ARIANNA, LOVER BOY!~"

* * *

**~Seven Years Later~**

Debbito grumbled as he fumbled with something in his hands. His lips pressed into a tight line as his eyes squinted in concentration.

He was currently in their room, sitting on Jasdero's and his bed, waiting for his brother to arrive with his what he asked for. After a few painstakingly tense minutes, he whooped in celebration as he held out to admire his craftmanship.

In his hands was a small, ornate locket, it's silver surface catching the light. It was beautiful, something no one would have guessed to have come from Debbito.

Ok, He didn't actually make it, he had the skulls to most of the work. But he was the one who put on the little hoop thingy that would attach to a ribbon or chain. (a/n: woooooww, really Debi XD)

Which his brother should have been back with.

Debbito sighed with impatience as he placed the now fixed locket on the desk beside their bed. He stared at the picture frame that sat beside it.

In it was Jasdero and himself soaking wet, their hair clinging to their makeup run faces. Both of them had identical, mischievous grins, as they held up Arianna who smiled proudly. In her grasp was a struggling koi, its vibrant colors contrasting with the dark grey of her dress.

That picture was taken two years ago when they decided to play,

"Who-Can-Steal-One-Of-Tyki's-Fish-And-Live" game.

Debbito had to admit that, that was a fun day.

He layed back onto their bed, letting himself sink into its soft sheets as he let his mind started to wander.

It's been seven years since the Earl forced his "fantabulus" plan on him, and to his surprise, Debbito had to praise him for its success.

Every year, Arianna would come to the family mansion the week before Christmas. The Earl thought that it would be more beneficial to make her get spoiled since that was the only time she got to see them each year.

During that time, she played with the family, but mostly with the twins. She would have so much fun that her smile never seemed to leave her face until she had to leave.

The moment she saw her "father" she freaked, once she literally clung so strongly to the Earl that they had to all work to pull her off...

In other words, the plan was becoming a complete success, she was completely loyal to the family and cherished them more than her own life.

Even though he loathed her visits in the beginning, Debbito found himself tolerant of her presense...

Even sometimes enjoying it.

She wasn't like other children he's seen, her eyes showed maturity that Tyki swore that was higher than his own. And she was a relatively quite girl, barely talking unless it was something important.

But beneath her happiness that she radiated when she was with him, was a deep sense of loathing and suffering towards her "father".

One of the rare moments she actually spoke was when she asked why they sent her back every year. Debbito could remember her looking up at him with those silver eyes as she sat on his lap (another rare moment, she won a bet). He told her it was because of her father...

That the only reason was that he wouldn't let her be with them was because she wasn't old enough to marry. She looked livid for a few seconds, but them broke into a large smile.

"Then it's just eight more years! I'm almost halfway there!", she exclaimed as she took his face gently in her hands.

Debbito still wasn't sure why he didn't pull away.

Suddenly the door swung open, revealing a rather lively Jasdero in its wake. In his hand was a silver ribbon that lined with black lace. Debbito sighed, as he got up to greet his brother.

"Took ya long enough! What gives?", he said as he took the ribbon from his brother's hands. Jasdero fumbled with his hair, "I just wanted to find the perfect one for Ari~chan...", he replied, a goofy smile on his face.

Debbito rolled his eyes, "You're getting too soft, ya know!", he scoffed as he slid the locket onto the ribbon.

His brother just laughed, hugging him from behind.

"~Like you're not Debi, race ya to din din! heeheehee~", he replied, the wide smile never leaving his face as he ran out the door. Debbito frowned.

Maybe he was...

He placed the locket back on the table before following his brother.

But it didn't matter.

She would be their's forever.

* * *

**~Back at Broker Manor~**

The figure of Arianna could be seen in the soft glow of the old oil-lamps that lined the wall of her "room". She was sitting on the small flea-ridden mattress in the corner of her cage.

It's been nearly nine years since she lived here, in the dark, with nobody to talk to. The only company was her "father's" nightly visits, which only brought her pain. She was bandaged nearly from head to toe, some parts still stained with her blood.

She remained still as she stared at the clock on the wall. It wasn't a normal clock, instead of numbers to represent the hours, the numbers around it's surface stood for months.

Everyday she stared at that clock, watching it's "hour" hand tick slowly closer to the 12.

How she loved the number 12.

For when that hand touched that number, she would be free from this agony...

she would be able to be with her **_real_** family.

She smiled, her eyes closed, as the faces of the Earl, Road, Jasdevi, Lero, Tyki, Sheril, Skinn, and Debbito passed through her mind.

Suddenly, she heard loud crashes and explosions from coming from the upstairs. Her silver eyes widened in fear and confusion. Whatever was going on upstairs was so strong that it she could feel it through the ground.

She gasped in realization as she brought her arms over her head, slightly too late as a portion of the ceiling gave out, showering her with dust and small bits of debree that managed to fall through the bars of her cage.

A soft moan met her ears, whatever made the noise, was obscured by the dust. Slowly the air cleared, and a young man with vibrant red hair with a green bandanna came into view.

Arianna was frozen with shock, her back pressed against the back of her cage. She could feel herself start to hyperventalate.

He moaned agian as he started to push himself off of the floor. In one hand, a large black hammer with a strange linear pattern, the other pressed to his forehead as he managed to push himself to a kneeling position.

Arianna remained silent, hopeing in vain, that somehow he wouldn't be able to see her.

But he alas, he opened his eyes...

eye, she corrected herself. He was wearing an eyepatch.

Vibrant green met silver.

They started at eachother, as if both of them couldn't believe what they saw. The man's eyes widened, his mouth dropping in shock.

"Whaa...", he gasped, still staring at her. She pushed herself agianst the wall, she could feel her heart beating irratically with fright.

"Oi, Yuu! You better come see this!", the man exclaimed, pushing himself off the ground as he ran deeper into the room. Arianna heard another groan, from who she suspected was Yuu...

Suddenly a woman...no...a man came into view.

He had long hair pulled into a pony tail, which was black like Debbi's. Like the redheaded man, he was wearing a black coat, but instead of a hammer, this man carried a long sword at his side.

His onyx eyes widened just like the strange red head's, who was now jumping up and down excitedly, much like Jasdero would.

"Can we keep her!", he asked, a mixture of excitement and foolishness.

It was at this moment, when Arianna's brain could fully comprehend what they were wearing...

Exorcist uniforms from the Black Order.

She started shaking with fright, her family warned her about the Order...

They were evil.

They would hurt her.

They would hurt them.

Disgusting.

Vile.

Cruel.

...

Worse than "father."

...

She could feel herself losing conciousness...

Today was not a good day...

* * *

**THAT'S ALL FOLKS, FOR NOW THAT IS :)**

**I HOPE THAT THIS WASN'T TOO BAD, AND THAT I DIDN'T MAKE THE NOAHS TOO OOC.**

**THUMBS UP FOR THE 2/3RDS OF THE SEXY TRIO APPEARANCE :D**

**I JUST HAD TO MAKE THE "WOMAN" COMMENT FOR YUU, ITS FUNNY, AND HONESTLY IF I WERE IN THE SAME SITUATION I WOULD BE CONFUZZELED TOO. ^_^'**

**PLEASE REVIEW! OR FACE THE WRATH OF ARIANNA'S KILLER PUPPY EYES! **

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	3. Chapter 2: Usagi and Bakanda

**HELLO AGIAN! I'M BACK ONCE AGAIN TO PROUDLY PRESENT CHAPTER 2 OF ARI'S STORY. NOW INCLUDING A SWEET HELPING OF USAGI AND BAKANDA WITH THIER BLACK ORDER MADNESS! THIS TIME YOU'LL FIND OUT HOW LAVI AND KANDA FELL FROM THE CEILING AND NEARLY GAVE ARI A HEART ATTACK. ^^ ANY QUESTIONS?**

***Lavi raises his hand***

**L: "Ooh, ohh! Meeee, me! I do m&%$# n~chan!"**

**me: "YEEEESSS?"**

**L: "Why do you always use all caps while you talk?" *innocent head tilt***

**me: "WELL, IT'S BECAU..."**

**K: "She's an idiot."**

**~cricket, cricket~**

**L: "Oooohh snap!"**

**me: "NO! I DO IT BECAUSE IT'S DRAMATIC! DON'T TEST ME YUU, IM THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY AND I CAN MAKE YOU SHAKE YOUR SEXY ASS LIKE A KPOP STAR WHILE WEARING A PRINCESS DRESS FOR MY READERS!"**

**K: "What readers?" *insert Kanda smirk here***

**(im in the emo corner...only to pull out my laptop, eyes flashing)**

**me: "GUESS WHAT TIME IS IT!"**

**K:"...shit..."**

**me: ACTUAL CHAPTER TIME :D! *Kanda sighs in relief***

**me: "don't worry, I'll make it happen someday! ;)" *whispering***

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~A Few Days Earlier, At The Black Order~**

It was like any other day at the Black Order, scientists ran about their mountains of paper work, completing assignments with tired eyes. Reever, rolled up the sleeves of his lab coat as he placed another tower of paper in front of Johnny and his crew.

They all fainted at the sight, their souls comically flowing out from their mouths.

"Get up! There's much more to do after this!", Reever stated sternly as he let out an exhausted sigh. His eyes, too had the deep bags underneath them, which characterized him as a fellow scientist.

The whole section groaned in exhaustion. It wasn't even 10:00 am. and they were already swamped.

But then, their savior, their green-pigtailed angel came walking in, her dark boots hitting the tiles melodiously as she carried their breath of life...

Coffee!

It was if the team was brought back to life, as it's bitter, sweet aroma filled the air.

Tears of rejoice could be seen throughout the room as Lenalee began to hand out her famous "I-COULD-CURE-CANCER-CUZ-I'M-JUST-THAT-GOOD!" coffee. She just smiled, her eyes illuminating with warmth as she exchanged small talk with some of the scientists.

Reever sighed with relief, she was probably the only reason all the people in the science branch haven't died yet...

Or thrown themselves off the cliff...

"Do you have another mission soon, Lenalee?", he heard Johnny ask. Lenalee smiled, the light in her eyes dwindling for a few moments with exhaustion.

"I was just going to get one from my brother.", she replied with a small sigh. Johnny frowned,"Another? You just came back!", he exclaimed in concern.

All of the scientists in the room perked up, listening attentively in fear of the well-being of their life line.

Lenalee just smiled and shook her head in agreement, "Yeah, Innocence has been found in Rome. But the finders already have it, I just need to bring it back. It won't take me long.", she said reassuringly.

All of the staff sighed in relief...

They could survive til then...

Possibly.

"Anyways, I'm the lucky one. Lavi and Kanda have a mission in London. They won't be back for a few weeks!", she continued, in a thoughtful tone.

A universal sigh of agreement rang throughout the staff.

* * *

**~In London~**

It hasn't been a good few days for Kanda Yuu.

Thanks to the retarded, ADHD-ridden red-head beside him, he hasn't had his healthy dosage of sleep. So the grouchy samarai-like exorcist was on "I REALLY WANT TO KILL SOMETHING, RABBIT SOUNDS GOOD" mode.

His hair was in a perfect ponytail, but his uniform laid wrinkled on his tall frame, giving him uncharacteristically disheveled appearance. His hand twitched to his trusty Mugen, just about ready to cut up some rabbit...

You see, Lavi, being Lavi, somehow managed to have the same amount of energy he had when they left the order...

Even after multiple train delays.

His bright, red hair contrasted greatly with multitude of dull winter coats of the passing by people, making the idiot stand out even more.

Kanda seethed as he watched Lavi prance in front of them, humming a stupid tune as he occasionally commented on "strikes" he saw. Sensing Kanda's growing murderous aura, the finder carrying their luggage took a step away as he shuddered from Kanda's icy chill.

"~Yo~, are we almost there finder-san?", Lavi asked innocently, completely impervious to Kanda's death glare. The finder sweat dropped, he was new to this job and thought that Lavi already knew the way...

The poor, poor, foolish man.

He started sweating profusely, tugging nervously at his collar.

"Ah-haha...Well...", he stuttered, trying not to wet his pants as he found himself under Kanda's scrutinizing gaze. Kanda, sensing the finder's guilt, placed a hand on Mugen's handle.

"Well, finder...Are we?", Kanda said, his eyes flashing. The finder swallowed loudly, as he prepared himself for a major beat down, might as well to try to save his pride...

"I don't know...We're lost.". Kanda didn't even look at him as he slowly unsheathed Mugen.

"Any last words?", he asked, as Mugen's sharp blade came into view.

The finder started to cry comically and shouted, "I LOVE LENALEE!"...

Well...

There goes his pride.

*TWACK*

**~time skip after beat down/arriving at the hotel~**

"You didn't have to be so mean to that finder, Yuu. You made him cry.", Lavi said as he looked up at Kanda from his bed. Kanda's ease of just coming out of his first shower in days disappeared as soon as Lavi that forbidden word. He rounded on Lavi, causing his wet hair whip painfully across his face.

Lavi bursted out laughing as he took in Kanda's surprised expression, rolling back and forth on his bed. Only to find and unsheathed Mugen pointing between his eyes as he laid upside down, his sheets tangled between his legs. Kanda glared at him as a fiery aura appeared around him.

"Don't say my name. Or I'll skin you alive, you baka usagi!", he growled through his teeth. Lavi raised his arms in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry...But really...That poor man won't last a minute back at headquarters after what he said about Lenalee.", Lavi stated, his emerald eyes staring cris-cross at the blade that was still between them. Kanda let out a tired "che" as he sheathed Mugen and placed it on the small bedside table.

"I don't care.", he said bluntly, as he made his way to his bed on the otherside of the room.

"But, Y-", Lavi started to say in a childish voice as he propped his head on his hands.

"GO TO SLEEP! WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE THE TOWN TOMMORROW!", Kanda yelled, preventing Lavi from uttering those forbidden letters as he roughly pulled at his sheets, turning away from him.

For a few fleeting seconds, Kanda thought that the usagi had listened to him, but...

"But ~Yuu~, I'm not tired!".

Kanda snapped.

Looks like he was going to have rabbit for breakfast tomorrow.

* * *

**~The Next Morning~**

The finder that had accompanied Kanda and Lavi was nowhere to be found.

Apparently, he was bedridden as the result of being man handled by Kanda. But Lavi suspected it the finder's annihilated pride that kept him away...

Or, perhaps, he made a run for it to avoid Komui's rage.

Either way, they had a pissed off finder on their hands, as the missing finder's partner glared accusingly at Kanda. Although, Kanda paid no attention to his attempts to death glare him.

Kanda just calmly ate his pre-packed soba noodles with grace fit for a noble. Lavi, being eager to break the tense silence turned to the finder and asked,

"Sooo...What's our mission?". The finder ceased glaring the raven haired exorcist and turned to Lavi, a much more gentle expression on his face.

He pulled out a series of papers from his backpack and laid them out on the table. Lavi recognized one of them as a map of London, one section of it was marked up with red dots, the other, with blue.

"For the past few years, there have been multiple sightings of large objects in the sky at night.", the finder began as he solely addressed Lavi, as if Kanda would care. The stoic exorcist just continued to drink his tea, barely showing any interest.

The finder gestured to the map, pointing out the scattered red dots that plagued the right side of its surface. Lavi looked over its contents as he unconsciously played with his innocence with his fingers.

"The red dots represent the correlation between the sightings and unexplained deaths that happened in their proximity.", the finder then gestured to the clump of blue dots,

"The blue, however, represent sightings were no deaths or disappearances occurred.", he explained. Lavi's eyes widened in surprise.

"They're too organized. If there was innocence where the blue dots are, then there should be deaths too.", he said thoughtfully.

Kanda scoffed, "It obvious, baka usagi. They have a hide out somewhere there, they don't want to bring attention to themselves.", he bluntly stated as he put down his tea, bending down to pick up Mugen beside him. Lavi shot Kanda with a childish pout,

"I knew that!", he exclaimed. Kanda let out a snort of disbelief and stood up, his chair squeaked against the floor. Then he turned to leave, heading for the door. Lavi clumsily got to his feet, and chased after Kanda, but stopped as he reached the door.

He turned to look back at the finder, "Yuu and I will check out the area with the blue dots. You can investigate the red-dotted area.", he said, smiling like an idiot. The finder nodded as he collected his papers, putting them back into his bag.

"We'll be back by dinner!", Lavi exclaimed. Then he ran out the door, as he hurriedly tried to catch up with his partner.

* * *

**~With Kanda And Lavi~**

Saying that Kanda was pissed off was an understatement.

Turns out that the area where the blue dots happened to be deep within the noble district. That meant that he had to put up with annoying rich people for last few hours. And as the result of their nature, they either turned them away with out a second thought...

Or they look their **_time_** in socializing with them...

They kept them for hours, just for them to find out that they had no information that was useful what so ever. Instead, they spouted useless gossip in annoying pitched voices that made Kanda's ears bleed.

It was already late, and they managed to question nobody who had information about the sightings. But that didn't seem to bother Lavi one bit, he strolled ahead with the same fervor he had in the morning.

"Come on Yuu, let's try one last house, then we'll head back for the night.", Lavi said, his smile never leaving his face.

Kanda grunted in exhaustion, Lavi took that as a yes and led the way to another lavish manor.

Kanda stood back, allowing Lavi to knock on the front door. A few moments after, the door opened. In its wake was an old woman wearing a simple evening gown, she looked up at them with curiosity in her eyes.

This surprised Kanda, for once, they weren't greeted by polished servants. Lavi just smiled, his emerald eye sparkling.

"Good evening, madame, we would like to ask you some questions.", he said as he took one of her hands in his and gave her a small bow. The old woman flushed, obviously dazzled by the handsome youth.

"May I ask, what ever for?", she asked softly as she pulled away from Lavi.

Unlike the others before her, this woman did not have the pronounced accent of a normal noble. And that made Kanda relieved.

"We just wanted to know if you noticed anything suspicious. We're investigating the increased crime here in town.", Lavi explained, as he gave her an innocent look, the smile never leaving from his face. Meanwhile, Kanda grumbled in the background.

She was about to respond, when an elder man appeared next to her. He was wearing a casual suit that was more expected for a middle class citizen than a noble.

"Who is it dear?", he asked as he squinted at them. Suddenly his eyes widened in recognition as he took in their uniforms.

"Ah! You must be exorcists with the Black Order! Come in, come in. Make yourself at home.", he said in excitement, warmth in his light brown eyes. His wife's eyes widened. Apparently, she also knew who they were, but was distracted by Lavi's charm.

She quickly ushered them inside, bringing them to a moderate sized living room. It was fairly simple. There were no fancy vases on display, or imperial silk sofas, or persian rugs...

It felt like a home.

Lavi chatted with the Mr. and Mrs. while Kanda seated himself on the sofa. He looked over to the table next to him and saw multiple picture frames.

Each one of them showed what he assumed were family photos. He recognized the old man and woman immediately, they were younger, but one could see that they were the same people.

Beside them was a pair of two girls, who were probably their children. They both had hair much like his, straight, dark locks framed their faces. But unlike himself, they had vibrant blue eyes that shone with excitement and childlike wonder.

They would have been identical, if not for one difference.

The only way that he could tell them apart was they way they dressed. One of them wore a dress like any normal girl should. But the other sported a nice shirt and trousers, much like a boy would.

"My daughters...", said the old man, startling Kanda as he sat down beside him. Lavi bent over to see for himself, his eyes shown with curiosity.

He smiled brightly, "They are very cute! What are their names?", he asked as he sat himself down on the sofa across from them. The old man smiled, his brown eyes shone with nostalgia.

"The one in the dress is Arianna. She was a very sweet girl. The one in the trousers is her twin sister, Amelia.", he explained softly. A soft string of chuckles passed through his lips as he continued,

"They used to get into all sort of trouble, those girls!". Lavi looked intrigued as he sipped his cup of tea that he had gotten from the Mrs. Kanda, however, started to zone out. He was tired of idle socializing.

The Mrs. clutched at her tea-cup, her grey eyes hidden from view. She looked up, a sad, exhausted expression on her face. She quietly got up,

"Please excuse me, I'll be going to bed now...", she said shakily as she swiftly left the room. Lavi looked after her, his emerald eye showing concern. The old man sighed.

"Please understand, my wife has trouble when ever I mention our daughters.", he said as he met Lavi's questioning gaze. Kanda remained silent, his eyes closed as he listened to their conversation.

"What happened to them?", he heard Lavi tentatively ask.

"Akuma attack...", the old man replied, pain clear in his voice. Kanda's stiffened, now interested.

"Poor Arianna was taken from us that day. We would have lost Amelia in the same attack if it weren't for an exorcist like yourself.", he heard the man continue.

"Amelia was never the same. If it weren't for Charles she would have been lost, I'm sure of it.", he said sadly.

"Who was Charles?", Lavi asked.

"A childhood friend of Arianna's. He used to play with both of them when they were younger.", the man responded, a hint of amusement in his voice, as if remembering good times.

"They stuck together. And before we knew it, they got married. He was Amelia's husband", the man's tone darkened at his last statement.

"Was?"

"She died during child birth...We never heard from Charles, or our granddaughter after her funeral...", he sounded almost hateful as he spat out the last part. Kanda opened his eyes, and stared at the old man. A tense silence filled the room.

The man turned to Kanda, his brown eyes piercing into his own.

"Please...Will you please investigate him.", he pleaded, his knuckles turned white as he clutched at his tea-cup. Lavi gave him a look, it was obvious that he wanted to help the man. Kanda scoffed,

"How would that be any use to our mission?", he grumbled.

The man's expression darkened.

"Because I've seen them going to his house."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN!**

**AT LEAST NOW YOU KNOW HOW KANDA AND LAVI ENDED UP AT BROKER MANSION IN THE FIRST PLACE.**

**YES, THERE IS A REASON WHY I DIDN'T REVEAL AMELIA'S GIVEN LAST NAME...BUT THATS FOR ME TO KNOW ;D**

**THANKS FOR ALL THAT HAVE REVIEWED!**

**THEY REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE :)**

**FYI; I'M LEAVING FOR THE WEEKEND TO NH WITH THE FAM. SO I PROB WON'T BE ABLE TO POST A NEW CHAPTER UNTIL MONDAY...WE HAVE NO INTERNET THERE ;_;**

**PLEASE CONTINUE REVIEWING! /OWO/**

**TILL NEXT TIME,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	4. Chapter X: Kanda, The K-Pop Princess

**OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHHOOOHOHOHO!**

**ENJOY :3**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

~At the Black Order~

It was time for biggest challenge the Science branch would have to face...

SPRING CLEANING!

Stacks upon stacks of undocumented experiments filled the room. The floor was hidden underneath layers of old documents and paper work. Overall, the atmosphere was hectic as scientists ran about, attempting to sort out the labyrinth of clutter around them.

Even the exorcist were helping out. Apparently, nothing could be done unless they finished, so they were trying to get it done as quickly as possible.

Please note that they've been at this for about a week now...

Allen could be seen carrying a bunch of boxes of mysterious chemicals, a hamburger in his mouth as he ate on the go. Beside him was Lenalee who was sorting through a stack of papers in her hands, as she pouted in concentration.

Meanwhile, Lavi was on the other side of the room with Bookman, cataloging each of the unlabeled bottles as he sat on the floor. Even Kanda was helping out, as he carried heavy boxes of documents around the room, under Komui's bossy orders.

But there was someone missing...

Distracted by their work, no one seemed to notice a certain little girl's absence.

Arianna Broker was nowhere to be found.

Or at least, that's what it seemed.

The 10-year-old was actually hidden from view. Somehow, in the chaos, she had become trapped by towers of crates full of chemicals.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, her tan dress pooled over her knees. She had a tired expression, her silver eyes glazed over. Twirling one of her loose ringlets around her finger, she sighed.

If you were wondering why she didn't call for help...

it was because even if she did, they wouldn't be able to hear her.

And she wasn't strong enough to move the boxes on her own. Or rather, she was afraid of moving them. Only God knows what would happen to her if any of them spilled on her.

Her stomach growled, causing small tears of frustration forming in the corner of her large eyes.

She was tired.

She was hungry.

She wanted out!

Arianna was about to lose hope, when light suddenly pierced through her prison of boxes.

She blinked. There he was... Her savior...

The surprised face of Kanda Yuu was revealed as he took a few of the crates from one of the pillars that surrounded her.

"What the hell are you doing there chibi moyashi?!", he asked, as he continued to free her from her captors. Arianna remained silent as she stared up at him in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

Suddenly, she launched herself at him, tackling him with a tight hug. Tears of relief pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Oi!", Kanda shouted in surprise, as he lost his balance. To their misfortune, Allen had chosen to walk behind them, with another crate of chemicals in his arms.

The three disappeared in a cloud of multicolored smoke.

The scientists are the remaining exorcists crowded around them, as the worriedly tried to clear the smoke.

"What the hell just happened!", a unfamiliar male voice exclaimed.

"How the fuck should I know?!...Wait! What's with this voice!?" a girl's voice shrieked.

Suddenly, a white golem came flying out of the cloud. It looked a lot like Timcampy, but it was white with a peculiar marking on it's face.

It was spazzing out, to be frank, it flew as if there was something seriously wrong with it. It came hovered over Lenalee's head. She stared at it. Her eyes widened in astonished realization.

"ALLEN?!", she shrieked in surprise, bringing her hands to her mouth.

Lavi started to laugh hysterically, comical tears sprayed from his eyes. Bookman hit him over the head, bringing him back to his senses.

"You imprudent brat! This is a serious matter!", he scolded as he squinted at the cloud that was beginning to clear.

A handsome young man and petite girl came into view. They were both wearing formal clothes. The man a tux, the girl a sparkly, powder-blue strapless dress.

A shocked silence filled the room.

The oriental girl had a look of absolute horror as she looked down at herself.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!", she screamed as she pulled at the poofy material of her dress. The young man looked confused and pissed off as he did the same. His grey hair was curled back in an indescribably sexy way. He stared at the transfixed crowd with his piercing silver eyes.

"ARI?!" and "KANDA?!"'s resonated from the amazed scientists and exorcist.

"Kandana" was still frozen in place, probably scarred for life. "Archer", on the other hand looked confused.

"Who the hell are you guys?!", he screamed as he backed away from the crowd.

"Arianna, its us...", Lenalee said softly, as she approached "Archer". He just backed away from her, growling, "Stay away from me bitch!".

Mutiple scientists had to restrain Komui as he tried to annialate "Archer" from the face of the earth for insulting his precious Lenalee.

"Stop Chief!"

"That's Arianna!"

"Archer" watched in amusement as he watched the strange chinese man struggle against his captors. Suddenly, he felt a hand close on his shoulder. He turned, only to face another asian girl floating behind him.

"Ahhh! Ghost!" he screamed pointing at the semi-transparent girl. Every one stared at him as if he were crazy...there was nothing there.

"What are you talking about Ari?", Lavi asked, his eyes flashing with concern. "Archer" ignored him and continued to stare at the ghost girl.

She was strangely dressed, she wore a tight tang top with a weird bat-like symbol across her chest, a pair of grey short shorts, and mismatched socks.

Her face was framed by short, choppy hair, her short bangs swept to the side. She smiled micheviously at him, her brown eyes flashing behind her glasses, as if she was going to do something evil...

"Hey there sexy!", she sniggered as she floated closer to him.

"Who are you?!", he asked, his grey eyes widening in fear and disbelief. She smiled wider...that creeped him out even more.

"OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg. And I have a favor to ask...", she said as she placed her hands on her hips, still in mid air.

"What the fuck?! Leave me alone creeper!", he screamed, glaring at her with his silver orbs.

"If you do me this favor, then I'll go away."

"Really?...", "Archer" asked apprehensively as he looked at her in a disbelieving way.

"Yep!"

He glared at her...then slowly nodded his head. She grinned evily.

"Excellent...Turn on that radio." He stared at her in disbelief, but did as he was told.

"Noe-do nal jo-ah-hal jul-eun mol-lat-suh.

Uh-jjuh-myun jo-ah.

Noe-mu-na jo-ah  
Ggum-man gat-ta-suh na neh ja-shin-eul ja-ggu ggo-ji-bo bwa  
Noe-mu-na jo-ah"

Kandana's form suddenly unfroze, and started to dance, her eyes glazed over and unfocused.

Ni-ga nal hok-si ahn jo-ah-hal-kka-bwa  
Hon-ja eoul-ma-na ae tae-un-ji mol-la  
Gue-run-dae ni-ga nal sa-rang-han-da-ni  
Uh-muh! da-shi han bon mal-hae-bwa

Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Na-rul sa-rang-han-da-go  
Nal gi-da-ryo wat-da-go  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Neh-ga pil-yo-ha-da mal-heh~ mal-heh-jo-yo  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Ja-ggu-man dut-go Sipoh  
Gae-sok nae-gae mal-hae-jo  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Ggun-i ah-ni-rah-go mal-heh~ mal-heh-jo-yo

Everybody stared, transfixed as they watched Kanda shake his/her hips to the music. Lavi's nose started to bleed, as did golem Allen's...some how.

Uh-jjum nae ga-su-mi i-ruet-gae ddwe-ni  
Ga-su-mi jong-mal to-jil geot ga-ta  
Ni-ga nal ball dde-myon jon-ki-ae kam-john-dwen  
Sa-rahm-cho-rom joen-ki-ka ol-la

Ol-ma-na oh-reh ki-da-rin-ge mol-la  
Ol-ma-na oh-reh ggun ggwot-nun-ji mol-la  
Gu-rohn-dae ni-ga nal sah-rang-han-da-ni  
Uh-moh! da-shi han bon mal-hae-bwa

Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Na-rul sa-rang-han-da-go

Nal ki-da-ryo wat-da-go  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Neh-ga pi-ryo-ha-da mal-heh  
Mal-heh-jo-yo  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Ja-ggu-man dut-go shi-poeh  
Kae-sok neh-keh mal-heh-jo  
Tell me tell me tell tell tell tell tell tell me  
Ggum-i ah-ni-rah-go mal-hae  
Mal-heh-jo-yo

Kanda gave one last spin and hit a pose.

Tell me tell me tell me you want me want me want me too  
Tell me tell me tell me you love me too love me too.

*cue sexy face*

...

Everyone stared dumbstruck...all of them wondering what the hell just happened.

The floating girl just smiled triumphantly.

"My work here is done!", she exclaimed. Then she snapped her fingers. The whole room was enveloped in blue smoke. When it cleared, everything was back to normal.

"What happened", Arianna asked, now a little girl again. Kanda seemed to be scarred for life and remained silent and souless.

"I have no clue...", Allen replied, equally as dazed.

Lavi smiled goofily

"Some thing amazing"

...

DAMN STRAIGHT!

* * *

**OMFG THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE, YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA! **

**HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**

**I TAKE MY REVENGE! IN YOUR FACE BAKANDA! :D**

**REVIEW IF YOU WISH, AND STAY TUNED FOR THE REST OF THIS ACTUAL FANFIC!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	5. Chapter 3: Broker Manor

**HEY EVERYBODY, I HAVE INTERNET! (IM STEALING OUR NEIGHBOR'S LOL)**

**THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING SUCH GREAT SUPPORTERS!**

**I'VE GOTTEN MANY MORE VIEWS AND REVIEWS THAN I'VE EVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. :)**

**I HOPE THAT YOU'VE ALL ENJOYED CHAPTER X OF THIS FANFIC...XD...**

**BUT TIME TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS!**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**~Back At The Hotel~ **

Lavi stared up at the ceiling as he sprawled across his bed. He could hear Yuu's soft breathing, a sure sign that he was fast asleep. Now, normally, Lavi would have done something mischievous to him while he slept...

But his mind was preoccupied at the moment.

They had agreed to investigate the elder man's son-in-law. However, Lavi couldn't shake the feeling that it was an empty promise. If this "Charles" was an akuma, and he was housing others, there was an extremely slim chance that his daughter survived.

His last encounter with elder man flashed once again within his mind.

**_"Here's his address.", he said as he handed Kanda a piece of paper. Kanda grunted in approval and put it in his pocket as he started to walk back towards the hotel. _**

**_ Lavi was about to leave himself when the man turned to him and took his hands in his own, they were rough and cold to the touch. He stared at him with a piercing glare, his brown orbs filled with a mixture of hope and determination. _**

**_"We may have lost Charles...But if there is any chance my grand-daughter is alive...", he said as he tightened his hold on him, shaking slightly. Lavi smiled as encouragingly as he could._**

**_"Then we'll bring her back safe.", he heard himself say. But even to him, it sounded half-hearted. _****_The man remained silent for a few moments, as if trying to read his intentions. _**

**_He let out a soft sigh as released Lavi's hands from his own, a tired smile forming on his face._**

**_"Thank you sir exorcist. May God guide you in your success.", he said quietly, and closed the door behind him. _**

**_Lavi turned to leave, but not before he saw the figure of the Mrs. watching him from one of the windows._**

**_"Thank you sir exorcist..." _ **

Those last few words rang again and again in his mind.

Lavi groaned as he brought his hands to his face, covering his eyes. How could he thank him when he knew himself they wouldn't find anything.

But if they did...

Lavi shook his head.

No.

He shouldn't give himself false hope.

But that didn't stop his imagination run of its free will. A girl appeared before his eyes. Her appearance changed constantly, except her smile, which stayed plastered on her face.

Would she look like her mother?

Or her father?

Would she have those same striking blue eyes?

Or perhaps, the same brown orbs of her grandfather...

Lavi rolled to his side, opening his eyes as he stared at Yuu's sleeping face. It was obvious that he wasn't bothered. Lavi knew that he was being unreasonable, unpractical.

This girl was just another victim of the Millenium Earl, another name to record in the Black Order's logs. But this was the first time he had actually felt a connection with a survivor.

It was the first time that he was thanked, even when he had nothing to give in return.

The elder man's "Thank you" continued to ring through his mind as he slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**~The Next Morning~**

Nothing seemed off about Lavi when they went down for breakfast. To Kanda at least, as the red-head talked animatedly with the finder with the same bubbling energy that he had the day before.

The only thing he did notice was strange, was that he had actually allowed Kanda to get a decent amount of sleep. But that was the least of his worries, so he marked it as unimportant.

Kanda placed his chopsticks down as he finished his soba and reached into his pocket, pulling out the small piece of paper the old man gave him last night.

_Broker Manor. _was written on it in the elegant scrawl of the old man.

He felt his eyes widen in mild surprise. Broker Manor. Home of the notorious Broker family? They were going to investigate/possibly destroy the home of one of the most influential and powerful companies in Great Britain?

Kanda sighed in frustration. This may pose a problem, seeing that the Black Order was supplied by them.

"Oi! Finder!", he said, interrupting whatever stupid conversation between him and Lavi. Said finder glared at him, but looked obedient enough.

"Pass me your cable box. I need to inform the Order.", he demanded, matching the finder's glare with ease. The finder tossed him the small cable box nether the less. Kanda caught it no problem and exited the room, so to be free of any distractions...

aka. Lavi Bookman.

He quickly caught his golem and plugged it in, dialing the Black Order.

"~Hel-l-ooo?~", an annoyingly familiar voice of Komui Lee sounded through the golem. Kanda winced at his childish tone, but continued the conversation.

"It's Kanda.", he replied bluntly.

"~Kanda-kun!~ How are you? Any progress on your mission?", Komui responded excitedly. Kanda tried to ignore Komui's annoying tone, his hands clenching into fists.

"We've found the akuma, bu-", he continued to say, only to be interrupted by Komui, "That's great! So I'm guessing that there were few problems."

Kanda's eye twitched.

"Don't interrupt me you sister complex! Their headquarters is at Broker Manor!", he yelled in frustration.

Komui remained silent for a few moments before answering, in a more serious tone.

"Are you sure?"

Kanda scoffed, "We have a confirmed witness who saw akuma entering the premises, and it correlates with the data.", he continued. Kanda could hear Komui sigh.

"Handle this with care, Kanda.", he said, there was no hint of childish mirth in his voice.

"Che. We'll get the job done.", Kanda stated bluntly and disconnected the line. When he turned around, he found him self face to face with Lavi. There was a more serious expression on his face.

"Lets go.", he said, his green eye piercing into his own, his innocence in hand.

* * *

**~Out On The Town~ **

It was starting to snow as they stepped out of the hotel. The white flakes stuck to Kanda's hair, contrasting greatly against its black surface. After enduring a half-hearted "dandruff" joke from Lavi, the team clambered into the carriage that their finder had called for earlier.

Broker Manor was in the far back of the noble district, so they decided that it would be quicker to go by carriage...

More like they were tired of the cold and they wanted this mission to be over.

The carriage ride was uneventful. Kanda spent most of the time either staring out the window or arguing with Lavi. Lavi, on the other hand, engaged their finder in brief bits of the either pointless or entirely random conversations...

Trying to break the awkward silence otherwise.

Finally, after an awkward 45 minutes, they stopped. Kanda was about to open the door when Lavi grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Remember, we've got to do this carefully.", he said. Kanda rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Like I don't know that usagi."

Lavi tightened his grasp and gave Kanda a stern gaze.

"The least amount of damage possible. If the little girl's still alive...".

Kanda pulled away roughly, but otherwise, remained civil.

"You know that is unlikely.", he bluntly stated, an unreadable look on his face. Lavi gave him a small smile, "But there is still a chance.". The finder gave Kanda another one of his glares "Thats right!", he exclaimed as he sided with Lavi.

Kanda let out a loud "Che", and turned away from them as he continued his way out of the carriage.

It was a lot less grand than he thought it would be, seeing that this was supposed to be the home of one of the biggest names in Great Britain. He expected it to be as, or even more, flamboyant and lavish than the manors they had already seen.

But it sat at the far corner of the street, as if it strived for solitude among the grandeur of its neighbors. A simple iron wrought fence surrounded it in a sleek and perfectly normal way, a small pathway led from its gate to the dark wood of the door.

He supposed that it would have been inviting, if it didn't give off such an intense aura of uneasiness.

It wasn't that the design of the house was disturbing, it was actually rather tasteful in Kanda's opinion. But rather it was the way it looked empty and untouched...

It was perfect.

Too perfect.

"Hmmm...You know...I expected a lot more.", Lavi chimed next to him as he gazed up at the house. He turned to their finder. "Are you sure that this is the place?", he asked apprehensively as he motioned to the manor.

The finder was about to answer, when Kanda interrupted him.

"This is it.". Lavi frowned at him, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "How do you know?".

Kanda didn't even look at him, his gaze still fixed on the eerie home. A familiar cold gut-wrenching feeling spreading throughout his body.

"I just do."

And with that, he made his way through the gate and towards the door, Lavi and the finder trailed behind him. Lavi stopped him as they reached the door.

"Allow me!", he said with a small smile on his face. He stepped forward and brought his fist to the door, knocking three times against it's smooth surface.

They stood there for several minutes, waiting in silence. Lavi was about to knock again, when the door suddenly opened, revealing a pretty maid.

"Yes...How can I help you?", She said in a soft, high-pitched voice. There was no emotion in its bell-like quality, and her eyes were as cold as ice.

She was platinum blonde, with an equally pain complexion. She wore a typical uniform for a maid complete with black, poofy sleeves and skirt, a white apron tied around her small waist.

Lavi tried to restrain himself. But couldn't help but sneaking a few glances at the pale, smooth skin of her thigh...

or her slender figure. The finder sighed, looking as dazed.

Kanda sent both a warning glare, but then turned to address the girl.

"We're with the Black Order, we would like to ask a few questions.".

The girl's icy blue eyes locked onto their exorcist uniforms, shifting to the cross rosettes on chests. Lavi gave her a polite smile and stepped forward.

"May we come in?".

She tore her gaze away from their uniforms, and slowly looked up at them.

"Of course.", she replied cooly as she stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

They entered and found themselves in a long, plain hallway. Several pictures lined the wall every so often. Most of them were of a man and woman.

Lavi instantly recognized the woman as Amelia, only older. So the lanky blonde next to her must have been her husband, Charles.

In every one, there was no doubt that they loved each other very much, it was obvious by they looked at one another. But he noticed that there was not a single picture of their daughter...

The maid close the door behind them with a soft click, bringing Lavi out of his trance.

She pushed in front of them, "Come this way.", her arm held aloft as she gestured that they go deeper into the manor.

They followed her...

But couldn't help but feel as if it were getting colder, and colder as they ventured deeper and deeper into its depths.

* * *

The maid led them into a large living room. There were two elegant couches by the stone fire-place, separated by a mahogany coffee table. She motioned for them to sit down.

"The master will be down shortly...", she said, her back to them, as she poured tea into three china teacups. They sat in awkward silence, one that Lavi decided to break.

"We've heard that he has a daughter, one would think that we would have seen her by now...Seeing that she is a little girl, probably full of energy.", he said smoothly, as he analyzed her reaction.

The maid just continued to make their tea, setting their cups on a silver tray. She quietly walked over to them, and laid the tray on the table.

"The young miss...is a very sickly child, and extremely shy. It would be rare to see her out of her room.", she said, not meeting his analytical gaze as she handed him his tea.

He took it politely as he sent a hopeful look at Kanda. The finder muttered a quiet "Thanks" as he too accepted his cup. It took a few minutes before Kanda accepted his with a noncommittal grunt.

He took a sip, and cringed...

it was way too sweet.

Although, Lavi and the finder seemed to like it, as they continued to drink their tea-cup's contents.

Suddenly, they drooped against each other, unconscious.

Kanda gasped in realization, he tried to stand up, but found himself extremely dizzy.

He felt himself fall to the floor.

The grotesque smile of the maid was the last thing he saw before his mind went black.

* * *

Kanda groaned as he slowly regained conciousness, his head felt as if he were hit by Lavi's innocence full on. He vaguely heard his companions coming too.

"Ugghh...My head..."

"Sir exorcists..."

Kanda slowly opened his eyes, a wave of nausea flowing through him as he regained his vision. He attempted to bring his hand to his head, only to find that they were tied tightly to the thick arms of a dining chair. He turned to Lavi, who was still floating in and out of conciousness, the same as the finder. They must have been given a higher dose, seeing that they drank more of the tea than he did...

The idiots.

But that was hypocritical of him, he had been foolish enough to even drink the tea. However, being Kanda, his pride wouldn't allow him to admit to such a foolish mistake.

"Welcome, exorcists, to Broker Manor!"

He looked up. Sitting across from them, was a middle-aged lanky blonde man. He wore a classy black suit, and gave an air of elegance and sophistication, beside him stood two maids...sisters. Kanda recognized one of them as the one who drugged them in the first place. They stood in silence, one with Lavi's innocence in her hand, the other with his.

Kanda glared at the man, as he silently attempted to remove his bonds. Lavi and the finder were still out, he had to buy time or they would all be killed.

"You're ", he spat through his teeth.

The man just stared at him, a smug smile spreading on his face.

"You are correct."

"You drugged us.", Kanda continued, as he pulled against the ropes around his hands, ignoring the sure signs of rope burn as he did.

"Correct, once again."

"..."

"I have to say, it took you exorcists to take notice to our little operation here.", said, amusement laced throughout his voice.

"..."

He took Kanda's silence a sign of fear. But in reality, he had just freed his hands, although receiving nasty rope burns around his wrists.

"Unfortunately, you won't live to tell your foolish headquarters.", He said evilly, a sadistic smile spreading across his face.

"Any last words?"

"Yeah...," Kanda glared, ",...You're incredibly naïve if you think that you can kill me."

He quickly flipped the table, causing its silverware and plates to crash against his captors. Mr. Broker's eyes widened in surprise, Kanda took this moment of weakness to jump over the table, ready to face them head on.

He dodged with ease as the maid's arms turned in to misshapen weapons of akuma and fired at him. Brought up his knee as he mercilessly kicked the maid with his innocence in the head, with one swift movement. Her neck bent at an awkward angle as she stumbled backward from the force.

Taking advantage of her moment of unbalance, he quickly tore mugen from her grasp, swiftly activating it as he jumped back. She was about to the shed her human skin, when Kanda sliced her head off, splattering akuma blood oil all over the floor and himself.

Kanda felt the remaining sister's bullets clip his shoulder, ripping his uniform, but not his skin. Unfortunately, they hit the finder, who groaned in pain and crumbled away, succumbing to the akuma virus. Lavi began to stir at the loud noise...

Finally.

His eye opened, but he watched the scene as if he were still half asleep.

Kanda rounded on her as she continued to shoot. He wove between the bullets, as if they were nothing, and then ran her through with his blade.

"Lavi! Wake up, you insufferable rabbit!", he screamed, as he saw more level ones fly into the room. Lavi's eye widened in realization, finally fully awake.

"Wha...", he tugged at his ropes clumsily.

Kanda really wanted to punch him just about now. But now wasn't the time as hovered above them, bursting from his human skin. Kanda quickly cut Lavi free and threw him his hammer, and immediately returned his attention to the surrounding akuma.

He and Lavi dodged the barrage of bullets that the small army of level ones released upon them, as they fought their way through. Suddenly, a bright light appeared above them.

High above them was a level two, unlike most that they had seen. It didn't look comical or grotesque, but was rather elegance. He looked as if he were a knight, his silver body gleaming like shining armor. T

he only thing that marked him as an akuma would be his arms, which morphed into large cannons.

"SHIT!"

The bright blasts that came from its cannons disintegrated everything it touched, leaving large gaps in the once perfect floors and walls. That's not all, they seemed to have a small honing ability, as they were extremely hard to dodge.

They came so fast, in such great frequency that it seemed that it would be impossible to reach him.

"WE HAVE TO KNOCK HIM OFF BALANCE!" Lavi yelled over the loud explosions, his uniformed ripped and his hair singed.

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT BAKA USAGI?!", Kanda screamed, his appearance just as disheveled.

"TOGETHER!", Lavi replied as he now held his ground, bringing his hammer back. Kanda nodded and did the same, except with his innocence blade.

"FIRE STAMP; HELLFIRE AND ASH!"

"FIRST ILLUSION; NETHERWORLD INSECTS!"

The mixture of their attacks engulfed the akuma, otherly known as . But as the smoke cleared, the knight-looking akuma was gone, as if he was never there, leaving Lavi and Kanda in silence as the room smoldered.

"Is it over?", Lavi asked, panting with exhaustion.

"Yeah...", Kanda replied sounding just as tired.

Lavi collapsed, laying on his back as he tried to regain his breath. Kanda just deactivated mugen and reattached it to his belt with a long sigh.

Suddenly, a sick cracking sound reached their ears as the floor around them started to fracture, it's cracks looking a lot like an elaborate web.

They both sweat-dropped.

The floor beneath them gave out, causing them to fall painfully into some sort of chamber below, a large cloud of dust spewed from the newly formed hole.

Lavi, met the stone floor rather painfully, as he landed on his face. What was worse, was that a lot of rubbish that fell on top of him, covering him from head to toe in broken bits of wood, glass, and a lot of dust.

He moaned in pain, as he was completely paralyzed from the shock of his fall. After a few moments, he tried to push himself off the ground, his innocence still in his right hand, his left was pressed to his aching head.

He managed to bring himself to his knees, as he finally opened his eyes, only to see a strange girl in an ornate, rusted cage staring at him in fear.

He felt his mouth drop in shock, letting out a soft, "Whaa...", in disbelief.

Was this the girl...

Could this be the old man's grand-daughter?!

"Oi, Yuu! You've better come see this!", he exclaimed as he scrambled to his feet. He squinted in the dust in search of his partner. He heard Kanda groan, as he slowly appeared out of the dust.

The raven-haired exorcist's eyes widened at the sight of the girl. Who looked absolutely terrified, as if she was about to pass out any second.

But Lavi was too excited to notice...

"Can we keep her?!", he asked, his emerald eye shining with excitement and relief. He was almost shaking with anticipation. Kanda remained silent as he watched the girl pass out in front of them.

"I mean, she gotta be the daughter the old man was talking about, who else could she be!", he continued, completely unaware that said "daughter", was passed out on the stone floor.

Kanda just remained silent and quickly cut off the pad lock that closed her cage. Lavi finally noticed the dilemma. His eye widened in surprise and concern.

"Oh shit! We've gotta get her out of here!", he exclaimed hurriedly, as he clambered into the cage, taking the malnourished girl into his arms.

She was peculiar looking, as she had curly grey hair that went down to her tiny waist, but there was no doubt that this was Amelia's daughter...

She had the same facial structure as her mother did from the pictures from her childhood.

Kanda couldn't help but notice that she wore a very worn down dress, something that wouldn't serve her any good in the cold depths of the cavern. She also was wrapped nearly from head to toe in bandages, some sections still stained with her blood.

Lavi seemed to notice that too, as he was quickly being over come with hysteria.

...

He watched Lavi scramble around the room, the girl laying limp in his arms, swinging as if she were a rag doll.

He face-palmed.

Today was not a good day.

* * *

**AND...DONE!**

**THAT WAS A LONG ONE!**

**LUCKILY OUR NEIGHBORS ARE UP, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE GET FREE INTERNET...AND MY DAD CAN'T SET A TIME LIMIT!**

**HAHAHAHAHAHAH :D**

**I HOPE THAT THIS WAS OK. I FIND THAT IT'S HARDEST TO WRITE BATTLE SCENES, BUT I'LL WORK ON IT.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	6. Chapter 4: Family Matters

**HEY GUYS! I'M BACK FROM NH!**

**SO I'VE NOTICED THAT MY READERS DROPPED BY ALOT :(...BUT NEVER FEAR, I'M NOT GIVING UP!**

**K: "Told you that your story's crap."**

***eye flash and hold's up computer.***

**Me: "DO YOU WANT ANOTHER CRACK CHAPTER?"**

***Kanda pales slightly and looks away.***

**K: "Che"**

**Me: "THAT'S NOT A WORD YUU"**

***He glares as Lavi gives me a thumbs up from behind his back.***

***&%$^: "When do I get to be in this story Miss M&^$#*n?"**

**Me: "DON'T CHA WORRY YOUR PRETTY HEAD SWEET HEART, YOU'LL BE IN THE SPOT LIGHT SOON!"**

**OH! JUST TO CLEAR THINGS UP...THIS IS TWO YEARS BEFORE ALLEN ARRIVES AT THE BLACK ORDER, SO ARIANNA IS 10, HE'S 13, AND LAVI/KANDA ARE 16'ISH.**

**CONFUSING? HOPE NOT ^_^'**

**ANYWAYS, ENJOY! :D**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

_**~With Kanda And Lavi~**_

The train station was extremely busy, as it was filled with last-minute travelers for the impending Christmas holidays. This meant crowds. And that meant a grumpy, and extremely agitated Kanda...

Even more than usual.

And it didn't help that the hyperactive red-head beside him continued to pester him about their recently completed mission.

"Are you sure it was alright to leave her with them?...", Lavi asked, for what seemed to be the millionth time in the last hour.

Kanda's eye twitched with agitation. They were on their way back from the elder couples' home, finally done with their mission. All Kanda wanted to do was to return to headquarters to get a bowl of proper soba and get a good sleep. But it was hard to concentrate on that when Lavi was being more annoying than usual...

To Kanda, at least.

A normal person would probably given his argument a second thought, as it did make a valid point. But this was Kanda, and Kanda's main goal was to do everything as quick and simple as possible. He wasn't one for distractions in between, especially when it seemed to have no importance to his mission. And he had deemed Lavi's argument as minor and irrelevant.

His topic, for the last few hours, was the girl that they had found in Broker manor.

Frankly, he couldn't care less. They had fulfilled their mission, it was a success. The girl was a bonus in his opinion, it wasn't everyday that they were able to rescue someone like that. So he couldn't understand why Lavi was making such a big fuss, he was the one who was so adamant on finding her in the first place.

"You were the one who was so focused on bringing her back to her family.", he yelled, voicing his thoughts as a vein in his forehead began to pop, "We brought her back to her family. So why aren't you happy?".

Lavi backed away, his arms raised in surrender. He frowned, his hammer dangled from his belt as he continued to walk beside Kanda, apparently recovered from Kanda's sudden outburst. Kanda picked up speed, forcefully parting the crowd as he made his way to the ticket booth.

"I just have a bad feeling...,", he said slowly, "...Like we should have stayed for a while. At least until she woke up."

Kanda grunted as he took their train tickets from the clerk.

"Our mission is over. End of story. She's her grandparents' problem now.", he seethed, turning to glare at Lavi.

"Yeah, but...", Lavi tried to continue, as he hurried to keep up with Kanda's brisk walk.

Kanda's hand twitched towards mugen, his dark eyes flashed, as if challenging Lavi to say otherwise.

"End of story. She got her happily ever after and we destroyed one of the Earl's headquarters.", he growled in annoyance and stalked off in the direction of their train, leaving Lavi continue to question himself.

Lavi couldn't help but feel dread bubble up in his chest, as the same troubling thought continued to plague his mind.

**_If they went through all that trouble to keep her alive, wouldn't they make an effort to get her back?_**

* * *

_**~With The Noah~**_

The noah family sat in a moment of silence as they comprehended what Road had just told them. After a few moments, Debbito and Jasdero snapped and stood up from their chairs in anger.

"**WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT SHE'S GONE**!", they screamed simultaneously, their golden eyes ablaze with anger and disbelief as they glared at Road from across the table. She just met their gaze with an air of professionalism as she pulled at Lero, which betrayed her air of calamity.

"She's gone. All of the akuma were destroyed, as was the house.", she responded bluntly. Debbit seethed with anger as he and Jasdero pointed their guns accusingly at the akuma known as "Charles" who stood unmoving in the back of the room.

"Then why is he still here! ~hee hee~", Jasdero screamed, "You brought him back, so why the fuck didn't you do the same for the girl?!", Debbito swore in agreement. Road bit her lip, annoyance in her golden orbs, but her concern was revealed as she continued to pull at Lero, much to his dismay. They all ignored his cries of indignation.

Sheril was sobbing, comical tears of sorrow flowed down his cheeks as he mourned for the loss of his cute "niece". Tyki pinched the bridge of his nose, as if trying to get rid of a rather nasty headache. Mean while, the Earl sat calmly at the head of the table, his hands clasped together as he waited for Roads explanation. You could feel the agitation that was coming from him in waves, but he remained courteous and civil.

"I was going to, but the floor gave out...it crushed her, her cage was destroyed and filled with dust, she must have gotten hit in the crossfire.", Road said quietly as she glared at the twins. "I'm upset too, you know! I lost one of my favorite toys!", she cried as she placed her hands on her hips.

Sheril cried harder, tears and snot comically running down his face, much to his brother's dismay. Tyki grimaced and leaned away from his babbling brother. The twins, however, were about to give her a nasty retort, but was interrupted by the earl.

"**_~JASDERO, DEBITTO, THAT IS ENOUGH!~_**,", he said smoothly, as waves of agitation and anger rolled off of him. The twins grumbled, but nether the less sat back down, their faces contorted in rage.

"What are we going to do now, earl?", Tyki asked, as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

"Have a funeral of course! ~Ohhhhh, MY POOR, POOR NIECE! WAHHHHHHHH!", Sheril cried as he hugged Road to him, she just sniffed and gave her "father" a half-hearted pat on the arm.

The earl brought his finger to his mouth, contemplating for a moment. The noahs watched him in silence, waiting for his verdict.

"_**~THAT MAY BE IN ORDER...~**_, He began slowly. The he smiled, and held out his arms as he continued in a joyous tone. "**_~ARI-CHAN WOULDN'T WANT US TO SUFFER...AND CHARLES IS STILL HERE, SO IT IS NOT A TOTAL LOSS!~"._**

He clapped his hands in approval and turned to the line of akuma servants that lined the walls.

"**_~PLEASE PREPARE A BEAUTIFUL FUNERAL FOR OUR DEAR ARI-CHAN!~_**". He ordered. They nodded mechanically, and left the room in a uniform line, "Charles" included. Debbito and Jasdero were still shaking, as they continued to glare at the earl.

He noticed the twin's hostility.

"**_~NOW, NOW. WHAT WOULD ARIANNA SAY TO THOSE FROWNS~_**?", he chimed as he waved his finger in a chastising way in their direction.

"That's tiring, I know...", Debbito said under his breath as his brother continued softly, "So turn that frown upside down. ~heee~".

"_**~THAT'S RIGHT! NOW COME ALONG, WE'VE GOT SOME PLANNING TO DO.~**_"., The earl chimed as he danced out of the room. Sheril was the first to follow, as he began to discuss funeral arrangements with the earl, his nose still running.

Road gave the twins an apologetic look before she skipped out of the room, Lero still screaming in her hand. Tyki sighed as he took another puff from his smoke. He got up slowly, he stopped in front of the twins, placing his each of his hands on their shoulders.

"I know that she was supposed to be yours. But there was nothing we could have done. You know she would be unhappy if she saw you frowning.", he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. Then he turned and walked out of the door, leaving the twins in silence.

"Debi...", Jasdero said quietly, as he turned to his twin. Their eyes met in understanding.

"They're right Jas...She wouldn't want us to wallow...Anyways she was our toy.", Debbito responded slowly.

Sick, identical grins spread slowly on the twins faces as they a murderous aura enveloped them.

"**_BuT We WiLl FiNd WhO DiD ThIs, AnD MaKe ThEm PaY_**..."

Nobody takes away the twins' toy and gets away with it.

_**Nobody.**_

* * *

**~At Grandparent's Manor~**

Arianna's limp form lay on a rather large bed. She was properly washed and new bandages covered her body. They peeked from underneath the collar the crisp white night-gown that now draped over her body.

Three people crowded around her, worry radiating from their figures.

"Will she be OK, doctor?", the elder man asked, his brown eyes shining with concern. His wife sat beside Arianna's bed, one of her wrinkled hand brushing a gray tendril from her granddaughter's face.

"She's badly bruised and has a few deep scratches, but I'm more concerned about her mental health.", the middle-aged doctor replied. His once black hair was spotted with white, and there were considerably more wrinkles on his forehead since the last time he saw her...

The day of her birth.

"We'll do anything, just please help her!", the old woman exclaimed as she looked up at the doctor, her blue eyes boring into his.

"I'll do everything I can, it's the least I can do...for Amelia's sake.", he replied as he looked over at the girl on the bed. She had the same grey hair as she did when she was born, but it now laid in long tendrils, framing her childish face.

He wondered if she still had the same piercing silver eyes from when she was a baby. He could see the woman he desperately tried to help in her face.

She was going to look just like her mother...

His fists clenched at his side as his mouth pressed into a frown, but his eyes shone with determination.

He would do everything in his power to make sure that Arianna would be OK.

He couldn't fail this time.

* * *

Arianna's eyes fluttered as she started to regain conciousness, her silver orbs peeked from underneath her eye lids as she slowly opened them. Everything was blurry, and she struggled to adjust to the light. She sighed in comfort and smiled as closed her eyes once again. It felt like she was in her bed, like she was home...

Her real home.

She felt her heart flutter with a mixture of excitement and relief. Her family must have found her, they must have saved her from those nasty exorcists. Arianna turned and finally fully opened her eyes, expecting to see the smiling face of Jasdero or Debbito's smirk, but was met with an unfamiliar face of an elder woman.

She froze, her heart dropped as dread and fear spread throughout her body as she stared at the sleeping figure of the strange woman who slept in a chair beside her bed. She let out a shrill shriek of absolute fear as she scrambled to get away from her. In her haste, she ended up falling off of the bed with a loud thump as she landed on the floor painfully.

"Huh?...", the old woman uttered in confusion, obviously woken up by Arianna's stumble. Her blue eyes widened as she took in the sight of Arianna, who had scurried into the farthest corner of the room, shaking with fear.

The woman's expression saddened as she carefully approached her frightened granddaughter. Arianna pressed herself against the wall, she looked nothing less than a cornered animal, her silver eyes flashing with a wild quality and her hair a tangled mess.

"It's OK, Arianna.", she said quietly, her blue eyes shone with care and concern as she continued to approach the cowering girl. Said girl was looking for anything to use as a weapon, to make a run for it, no such luck. Blue met silver as she stared at her unknown grandmother.

"It's alright. You're home now.", the woman said slowly as she reached for the girl. Arianna eyes widened at this, undoubtedly, looking quite crazy and broken in her grandmother's eyes. She slapped her hand away, letting out a shrill scream,

"YOU ARE NOT MY FAMILY!". Tears started running down her face as she began hyperventilating.

"YOU ARE NOT MY FAMILY!", she screamed again. The woman held her hand, her eyes wide with shock.

Arianna felt the familiar feeling of hysteria run through her system, sending her brain on overdrive as two men came barging into the room, obviously disturbed by her screaming.

She continued to scream as she fought against the men who were trying to calm her down. Suddenly she felt a shark sting on her neck, she slumped, unconscious once again, tears were still running down her face.

The trio stood in grim silence...

It was so much worse than they thought.

* * *

For the next few weeks, the couple tried in vain to calm Arianna down with their presence. But every time she woke, she threw herself into a tantrum, claiming that they weren't her family and that they would find her. It's gotten to a point where they had to pump her with drugs, to prevent her from hurting herself. They also strapped her to her bed for the same effect.

The doctor claimed that she was experiencing post traumatic stress, that she had hallucinated a perfect family as the result of her cruel imprisonment by her akuma father. He was dejected, as he soon realized that the girl would never be normal again. He felt sickened that the only way he could help her now was to drug her into submission...

That he had made her prisoner in her own home.

The elder couple found themselves exhausted, and decided to go out to town to distract them from their continuous failure. It was snowing, all around them were the excited laughter and conversations of families towing children, excited for Christmas day tomorrow. This made them feel even worse as they were a reminder that their family was in shambles.

Nether the less, they continued down the street, occasionally looking into store windows.

"This is all the akuma's fault!", the woman said scathingly as she walked briskly by her husband.

"Dear..."

"How could they imprison our little girl like that?! Those sick, disgusting creatures!", she continued, completely unaware that she was making a scene, as couples looked at them with curiosity.

"You know that it isn't their fault.", her husband said softly, his mouth pressed in a sad smile.

"I know...it's just...our poor Arianna.", she slumped with exhaustion as she looked up at her husband, tears in her eyes.

He wrapped his arm around her as he led her back towards their home.

"All we can do is pray for the best, dear."

The couple continued to walk down the street, completely unaware that two people had heard their conversation from the shadows, sick grins appearing on their faces.

The man turned to his comrade.

"You know what this means!", he said excitedly, his eyes shining with greed.

"Yeah!", his friend said, with equal gusto, shaking with anticipation.

"We'll be greatly rewarded...", the man continued, his sick smile never leaving his face.

"...When we return Jasdebi's precious toy!", the other finished.

They turned to follow the elder couple, who were oblivious that they were bringing something extra home with them...

Something horrible.

* * *

**~Somewhere Outside~**

A lone figure was seen walking down the street, he looked way out-of-place next to the manors as he was dressed nearly in rags. What was even more peculiar was the strange flying object that circled him, beating its golden feathery wings. The young teen looked around, taking in the sights of the manors around him.

His breath hung like little clouds as he sighed, pulling the dirty scarf around his neck tighter to him. He had a shock of messy white hair and grey eyes, almost silver. he would have had a perfect complexion if it weren't for the angry red scar that ran down his left side of his face.

"Where are we Tim?", he asked the flying object, exhaustion clear in his voice. "Tim" just continued to hover above him, and remained silent. Comical tears started to run down his face.

He had wandered around for hours, trying and failing to find his way back to his hotel. He was tired, cold, and hungry.

"Damn it shishou! If it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten lost on my way back from the casino!", he shouted to the sky, but all he got, were snowflakes to the eyes. He blinked in surprise and pain.

"Owwwwww...", he whined as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the icy sting in his eyes.

Suddenly his right eye glowed red, his iris to turn red and black, forming a sort of target. He froze as he scanned the area, his eye zoned in on a manor across the street.

A loud scream pierced the air as he watched one of its window's being blown out.

He ran.

His bad day seemed to have gotten worse.

* * *

He blasted the door open, and was met with a scene of carnage. The walls were scorched and were had large holes, pictures and glass littered the floor, but what made his heart sink was the man who laid on the floor.

he rushed to him, but he knew it was already too late as akuma stars started to appear on his skin. The man looked up at him with his dark eyes, pleading, his mouth opened as he pointed to the stairs.

"...Save them...", he whispered almost too queit to hear. Then his whole body turned black and crumbled away like ash.

The boy hurried up the stairs, as he heard the screams of the survivors. When he rounded the corner he saw an elderly couple who were desperately trying to sheild a child in their arms as two level one akuma came closer, their guns raised.

"Innocence Activate!", the boy screamed, his left arm changing into a large claw. He charged as he sliced the first akuma without hesitation. the second turned to him, now completely aware of his presence, it fired, sending a barrage of bullets at the young teen.

The white-haired teen dodged them hastily, but was unable to get any closer to the akuma. The elder woman watched in horror as she held the child to her chest, her husband pushed her into the room, sending the boy a knowing look.

With one last cry, the white-haired teen was able to slice the akuma, splattering his already dirty clothes with its blood. He stood, panting in the wreckage of what used to be a perfectly good hallway.

He opened the door, and was hugged by the blubbering woman as she cried into his shoulder, still shaking with fright. From over her head, he saw the elder man place the unconscious child back onto the bed. Brown met grey as their eyes met.

"What is your name?", he asked, his face had an extremely grateful expression on his face.

"My name is Allen Walker.", the white-haired teen said, smiling as he gently patted the old woman's head.

* * *

Allen Walker soon found himself sitting at a large dining table with a cup of tea in his hands, as dish after dish as laid before him. His grey eyes sparkled with delight as he dug in hurriedly, momentarily forgetting that he had company.

He froze mid way, with a piece of fish still sticking out of his mouth, as he realized he was being rude. He was about to apologise profusely when he was interrupted by the elder man sitting across from him.

"It's Ok, you're a parasitic type aren't you. You need food to stay strong.", he said kindly, his brown eyes sparkling with knowing. Allen swallowed in surprise. Tim took this opportunity to dig in himself.

"You know about innocence?", he asked curiously. The man smiled kindly, but Allen didn't miss the sorrow in his eyes.

"Yes, we met an exorcist when he saved one of our daughters many years ago."

"The other?", Allen asked. He mentally slapped himself for asking such an insensitive question as the elder man's expression darkened

"I'm sorry...", he said quickly, bowing his head.

the elder woman smiled at him kindly as she shared a look with her husband.

"It's alright, it was many years ago.", he said quickly waving his hand at Allen, who sighed with relief.

"You've already done so much for us, but I would like to ask you one last favor...", the man continued, his brown eyes shining with hope. Allen, being the gentleman as always, nodded his head, encouraging the man to go on.

"Take our granddaughter with you."

Allen stared at him in a shocked silence, not believing what had just come out of the man's mouth.

"Why?", he asked quietly.

The elder man sighed as he started from the beginning.

"It all started about 10 years ago..."

* * *

**PHEW, THAT TOOK A LOT MORE EFFORT THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD!**

**HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THE LITTLE MOYASHI'S SPOT LIGHT!**

**REVIEW! PRETTY PLEASE, WITH A CHERRY ON TOP.**

**WTYL (WRITE TO YA LATER!)**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	7. Chapter 5: Unexpected Expectations

**HEY GUYS!**

**I MIGHT UPDATE EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS, IT REALLY DEPENDS...I HAVE TO CATCH UP WITH MY SCHOOL WORK :(**

**I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I REALLY MISS MY CRAZY WACKOS OF FRIENDS.**

**K: "Of course your friends are crazy, you psycho woman!**

**Me: "YOU KNOW THAT'S JUST A COMPLIMENT TO THEM, AND FOR ME, YUU."**

**K: "Che"**

**A: "Don't be rude Bakanda!" *smiles politely* "I bet miss OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg's friends are just lovely. And I love your name by the way."**

**Me: "AWWWWWW, YOU GENTLEMAN, YOU!"**

***Kisses Allen on the cheek***

**L: "Don't I get a kiss?!" **

**Me: "SORRY, ONE KISS PER CHAPTER!"**

**L: "Awwwww..."**

**Me: "TAKE IT AWAY ARI!"**

**Ari: "..."**

**Me: "..."**

**A: "I think she's still unconscious..."**

**Me: "NOT FOR LONG!"**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**~With Allen~**

Allen listened patiently for the old man to finish his story, a grim smile on his face. He would have never guessed that a child had to endure such horrors. And sadly, he had to agree with the doctor, she probably never be the same. Allen couldn't help but feel angry at the exorcists who "saved" her, they should have taken more responsibility.

"So, please take her with you, she's not safe here!", the old man pleaded as he reached over and took Allen's hands within his.

The old woman beside him just sniffed quietly as silent tears began flowing down her face. Allen felt obligated to help these people, but he felt a tinge of doubt and fear. He was only 13 years old and his live was already more dangerous that most. Also, Cross would have his head if he brought home the girl.

Allen shivered at that disturbing thought, but nether the less responded with a smile.

"If you are sure, then I will gladly take this responsibility."

**_Oh God, Cross is going to kill him._**

But the looks of absolute gratitude on the elder couple's faces momentarily wiped that thought away, as Allen's heart filled with warmth. The elder man's hands tightened their grip on his, and bowed his head, Allen could see tear drops falling on the table.

"Thank you, sir exorcist! Thank you!", the wife said through her tears of relief and sad happiness.

Allen blushed madly at the couple's reactions, even more so when he realized that he had just basically agreed to become the girl's parent. His grey eyes widened at this as he felt his mouth drop in surprise and realization.

He was a parent...

Or a brother...

Allen couldn't tell if he was shaking with excitement or of fear.

* * *

**~At Noah Manor~ **

The noah family decided that it would be best to have Arianna's funeral on Christmas eve, since it was her favorite day of her visit because they celebrated her "birthday". The simple funeral progression slowly made their way to the gardens where she would be laid to rest. It used to be her favorite place to play, claiming she liked the way the water sparkled in its various ponds in the sun.

They all walked in relative silence, except for Sheril and Road, who were crying into each others' arms. Tyki puffed on his cigarette, his golden eyes looking up at the sky as he let out a deep sigh. The twins were actually silent, and didn't complain as they wore formal wear. That was something that was abnormal by itself.

The earl skipped ahead of them, swinging Lero in one hand, holding a bouquet of silver roses. By the way that he acted, one would think that he was fine, but tears ran down his face. Debbito couldn't tell if it were out of sadness that she was gone, or it was because one of his plans had failed.

He figured it was a little of both...

For all of them.

They stopped in front of one of the clear pools, they could almost feel Arianna's presence as they all remembered her playing in this exact pool. Sheril cried louder, crushing Road to his chest even harder than usual.

As they didn't have anything to bury, they had placed a simple grave stone underneath the shade of her favorite tree. It's white marble shined in the light of the setting sun. The words carved on to its surface seemed to jump out at the twins, making everything seem real, that this was actually happening.

The earl tentatively placed the bouquet in front of the vibrant tombstone. He turned to them, comical lines of tears and snot running down his face, as he addressed all of them.

"**~I THINK THAT WE ALL SHOULD SAY A FEW LAST WORDS TO OUR ARIANNA-CHAN.~**", he said.

Tyki sighed and was the first one to step forward, letting out one last puff before he began,

"Hey Chibi. I wish you luck, where ever you ended up...", he paused as an amused smile began to spread on his face, "...I can't believe that I'm saying this, but I'm going to miss you, you little koi thief.".

Road was the next to go, as she skipped forward, her black dress bouncing as she did.

"Ari~chan, you were the best little sister we could have asked for. I hope you forgive me, but I had to do what was best for the family". She smiled as she summoned a pair of her candles, lighting them and plunged them into the ground. Their soft flame cast Arianna's tombstone in a hauntingly beautiful bath of orange light.

Sheril stepped forward to say his few words, but he was crying so loudly between his words that no one could decipher their meaning.

Next were the twins, who slowly approached the stone. They weren't crying, but it was obvious that they were extremely upset.

"We'll miss you Ari..~heeee~", Jasdero began softly as his brother continued with more strength, "...We'll never forget.", he said through his teeth as he clenched his fist on something in his hand.

There was a dark hint in his tone, that didn't go unhidden from his family. They stepped back, casting their faces in shadows as they cover them with their hair.

The earl was the last to go. He stepped forward and gave a large bow to the grave.

"**~GOOD BYE, OUR PRECIOUS LITTLE DOLL.~**".

* * *

**~Back To Allen~**

Allen stood in the destroyed doorway, with the girl safely on his back as he said his last good byes. The old man stepped forward and handed Allen a small envelope. Allen looked up questioningly, as Tim nested himself in the girl's curly hair.

"For when she's ready...", he said with a small smile. Allen nodded in understanding and muttered a soft good-bye, and turned to start walk back to the hotel...

Which they had given him directions to.

The elder couple bid them farewell as they hugged each other, both had a sad smile on their faces.

She was really light, too light, as if she was malnourished. Though it wasn't surprising, after hearing what she had been through in her short life. Her long, curly hair draped over his shoulder and tickled the exposed part of his neck.

The soft sound of her breathing was comforting, and she felt warm against Allen's back, shielding him from the cold. He quickened his pace as he headed for the hotel, wanting to get her out of the cold as soon as possible.

Suddenly, a bad thought came back to him...

How the heck was he going to face master Cross?!

* * *

**~Back At The Hotel~ **

It was already passed dinner by the time Allen made it back to the hotel safely. Of course, it took even longer to be allowed to enter the building, seeing that it was suspicious to have a semi conscious girl draped on your back who was bandaged so intesively.

Allen let out a deep sigh, as he struggled to open his room's door, trying not to disturb his new "sister". He could hear her muttering something, but it was so faint that he couldn't make out what she was saying.

When he walked into the room, he immediately made his way to his bed and carefully laid her down. He let out another tired sigh as he sat beside her.

Suddenly he could feel her to start to shiver, he looked down at her, wide-eyed in realization. She was cold from being exposed to the snow for too long, since she was covering his back. Allen felt his heart sink with guilt...

Maybe it wasn't the best way to have carried her.

He had to get her out of her wet clothes. Allen's face went bright red as his mind began to short-circuit, being the gentleman that he was. He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts.

**_It was for her health!_**, he reminded himself repeatedly as he slowly reached over her and began to remove her now soaked through jacket, his hands trembling slightly.

Arianna stirred from his touch, her eyes fluttering. Allen froze, but felt himself relax when she just slipped out of conciousness once again.

Thank God, for her drugs!

Eventually Allen was able to remove all Arianna's wet clothing, until all that remained was her white under dress. Allen quickly pulled the blankets over her small form, desperately trying to forget that he had just basically stripped a girl to her chemise.

Once Allen's heart returned to its normal heartbeat, he finally got to get a good look at her. He decided that she was quite cute, and unusual, just like him.

She had long, grey hair that hung in soft curls, which framed her heart-shaped face and accentuated her petite features. Her thick eyelashes dusted her cheeks, which were alight with color from the cold and that stood out from the rest of her pale complexion.

**_She looks like a doll..._**, he thought to himself, but it was her expression that made him want to protect her.

She looked extremely vulnerable. Like she was a lost puppy that was abandoned in the cold streets.

Allen felt warmth spread throughout his body as a smile started to spread across his face.

Could this be what it feels like to be a brother?!

He was about to reach to push a few stray curls from her face, when the door barged open, his Master Cross in its wake with a bottle in his hand. Allen froze in fear. They stared at each other.

"Tell me that there isn't a little girl, and that this is just a drunken illusion...", he said slowly as he drunkenly looked at Arianna.

"It-itt-it's an illusion Master!", Allen replied quickly, his heart starting to beat irrationally with fright. Marian Cross just continued to stare at her, then slowly turned to look at Allen.

"Liar! I only dream about grown women, idiot apprentice!", he yelled and lunged at Allen, who screamed.

After successfully knocking Allen out, Cross looked back at the girl who was in his apprentice's bed. His drunken eyes widened with vague realization.

He started to walk towards her, his hand raised aloft, but promptly fell to the floor, passed out in a drunken stupor. But not before a vague thought crossed his mind...

**_I'll deal with it in the morning._**

* * *

**~The Next Morning~ **

Arianna groaned as she started to wake up, her eyes fluttering as she tried to adjust to the light. She was curious, her head felt exponentially better, as if her mind was no longer blurred.

Not only that, but she could feel that the restraint's on her hands and feet were no longer present. All in all, she felt good...

Calmer.

That was until she saw the man who was sitting next to her, watching her through his long red hair. Arianna's silver eyes widened in fright, the familiar feeling of hysteria starting to bubble up in her chest.

She sat up quickly, about to let out a scream, only to feel light-headed and fall back on to her pillows. her head spun painfully, as she vaguely heard that man speak.

"Hmmm...Just as I suspected...raised to fear us with a passion equal to themselves.", he said smoothly in a low, baritone voice as he swirled the ruby-red contents of his glass.

Arianna didn't respond, only watching Cross, as if trying to gauge his intentions. He let out a long sigh,

"You look a lot like your mother.", he continued he adjusted his grasp on his glass. Arianna stared at him, her silver eyes boring into his. They sat in silence for a few moments when Arianna finally spoke.

Despite not doing anything but screaming for the last few weeks, her voice was surprisingly clear and rang through the silence with a bell-like quality.

"I don't have a mother.", she said as she glared at him. Cross noticed that her eyes shifted to the door, as if she was already planning her escape. He snorted in amusement.

"Where would you go? You have no idea where they are, they came to you, not the other way around."

Arianna's eyes widened in surprise, but her expression quickly turned of one of fear to one of anger. She momentarily forgot her fear as he mentioned her family and grabbed the front of Cross's coat, bringing his face to hers as she seethed in her bell-like voice,

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT! YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, DON'T YOU!"

Cross remained silent, but gave her a smug grin as he pried her hands from his coat.

"So what if I do? **_Arianna Broker_**."

Arianna pupils dilated with a mixture of fear and fury as she wrapped her small hands around his neck, squeezing it as hard as she could.

"YOU WILL TELL ME!", she screamed, her hair seemed to stand on end as she bristled with nervous energy.

But Cross didn't even seem phased as he easily broke her grasp once again.

He watched as the girl's energy suddenly dropped, she drooped as the feeling of dejection all but radiated from her. Tears started to run down her face as she looked up at him, looking completely lost and destroyed.

"Please...please, tell me...I...miss them...", she said softly as her fists clenched around her bed sheets.

Cross seemed to contemplate something, his eyes closed as he scratched his face, thoughtfully with his unoccupied hand. Arianna watched him, desperately hoping that he would tell her where her precious family was.

"I'll make you a deal. If you stay by Allen's side as his personal finder until he reaches break point, I will tell you where your family is.", he said bluntly as he stared at her, waiting for her reply. Arianna looked up at him, Cross could almost her inner turmoil in her silver eyes.

Arianna felt sick to her stomach.

**_Claim loyalty to her family's mortal enemy?_**

**_Go against everything that they've taught her, even if it meant she would be able to see them again..._**

She felt more tears run down her face, as her eyes glazed over. She missed them so much it felt as if she were dying. She wanted to find them so badly, to be in their arms once again.

The look in her eyes hardened, her face becoming a grim expression of absolute seriousness. She had made her decision.

She looked at Cross and held out her petite hand to him.

"I'm guessing that we have a deal?", he said amusingly. She glared at him, unsmiling, as she continued to hold out her porcelin like hand to his.

Cross smiled, looking triumphant, Arianna's stomach flipped again.

He gently took her hand into his gloved hand, and brought it to his lips, grazing it's surface, making her shiver with disgust.

"Excellent".

Arianna couldn't help but feel that this was going to change her life forever...

But she wasn't sure if it was for the better or for the worse.

Just what did she get herself into?

* * *

**OH MY DEAR ARIANNA, WHY WON'T YOU OPEN YOUR IRON LITTLE HEART!**

**IF THAT'S HER ATTITUDE NOW, ALLEN'S GONNA HAVE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS DURING HER TEEN YEARS XD**

**I DEFINITELY FEEL MORE ATTACHED TO THIS STORY THAN MY PERCY JACKSON FANFIC, I FEEL THAT I UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS MUCH BETTER...AND MY OC IS MORE THOUGHT OUT AND HAS MORE DEPTH.**

**I REALLY JUST LOVE HER TO DEATH!**

**I HOPE YOU GUYS FEEL THE SAME WAY!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	8. Chapter 6: Homecoming

**HEY GUYS!**

**SORRY FOR THE LATER UPDATE, I JUST STARTED DANCE TRAINING AGIAN (IM SO SORE! D:), BEGAN MY SUMMER READING (LOL FAIL), AND HAVE SAT CLASSES...SO YEAH, I'VE BEEN BUSY LOL**

**I HOPE THAT YOU'VE ENJOYED MY FIC SO FAR.**

**FYI. I'M GOING TO NH WITH THE FAM AGIAN THIS WEEKEND AND MY INTERNET DEPENDS IF MY NEIGHBORS ARE UP, SO I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET STARTED ON THE NEXT CHAPTER...**

**DON'T BE SHY TO PM ME WITH YOUR OC'S BIOS IF YOU WANT ME TO WORK THEM INTO MY STORY SOMEHOW! I LIKE WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH THINGS LIKE THIS :)**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**~2 Years Later, At The Train Station, London~ **

"Timcampy! Timcampy, where are you?!", a frantic Allen yelled, desperately trying to find the golden golem in the bustling crowd. Suddenly he felt someone pull at his coat, he turned and found himself facing Arianna's blank expression. She silently pointed to her curly, grey hair, her piercing silver eyes alight with slight annoyance.

Beneath her thick tendrils was Timcampy, comfortably nestled and looking pleased with himself. Allen let out a deep sigh of relief as he clutched at his heart.

"Geez, Tim. Do you want to give me a heart attack?!", he said exasperated, smiling as he leaned to pluck him out of Arianna's hair.

Arianna just rolled her eyes and continued to walk towards the exit of the train station. Her long, tan dress coat brushing her dark stocking covered shins as she took hurried strides. Allen quickened his pace to keep up with his impatient partner as he smiled kindly at her.

Nothing's really changed since he first met her.

Sure she had gotten taller and was beginning to lose her round childish face, but her personality and attitude towards him hadn't changed a all in the last two years.

She was still the same quiet, antisocial girl he had helped nurse back to health.

To his dismay, she was not an endearing little sister he had first pictured. In fact, she barely spoke to him since they first met and she still distanced herself from him. Not only that, but she refused to be called by her real name, Allen had to resort to calling her Grey because of this.

Despite all of this, Allen wasn't too bothered, he had come to realize that underneath her icy exterior was a genuinely caring girl. But he sometimes wished that she would smile more.

He had only seen two types of her smiles...

Incredibly fake or just pain evil.

Therefore, he was determined to get a genuine smile out of her.

Allen always tried to make her happy, bringing home sweets or small toys with the small pocket-money he had. Ironically, she didn't like those types of things and refused to take them.

If it were candy, she would just give it back to him and hit him on the head, as if chastising him. And Allen still had nightmares from when he had attempted to give her a baby doll. What Allen quickly realized, was that the one thing that would seem to make her happy, were books.

He suspected that it was because they took her mind off things like training or her past. She would lay on their bed for hours at a time, staring at those printed pages with her silver eyes. From nonfiction to fiction, biography's to autobiography's, or child picture books to the most intricate pieces of literature, Arianna read them.

For a while, Allen was jealous of her books. She seemed that to pay more attention to them than to real people, like himself. But he soon realized that it was worth while, as he would see her expression soften.

It was a small change, but to him her eyes became more expressive and her cold aura seemed to melt...

Slightly

Plus, he could sometimes get a rare conversation out of her if he talked about her favorite books.

However, Arianna's constant silence wasn't all bad.

If he had a rather bad day, he could rant to her all he wanted and she would still listen, as if she knew that he needed to let off steam. Allen wished she felt as comfortable around him as he was with her...

He could tell that there something constantly bothered her, and that she would need to let it out soon, or it was going to consume her. But, when Allen tried to get her to open up, she would close herself off, treating him colder than before.

The only thing that they had both come to an understanding with was that she hated Cross with a burning passion.

Her eye's seemed to sharpen when she had to interact with him, a scowl always on her face. But nether the less, she remained obedient, even when he gave her the most ridiculous training exercises or requests.

And as if she were trying to prove something, she pushed herself to excel at everything he asked...

Not only that, but because of Cross's tenacious habits, she had become extremely proficient in self-defense, since she would be approached by the neighborhood pedophiles in the red light districts they stayed in.

This made Allen both relieved and sad.

On one hand, he didn't have to worry about her getting hurt. On the other hand, she had become even more untrusting to those around her. Allen tried to stay with her as much as he could, but more often than not, he had to go earn both their keep as he worked off Cross's mountains of debt.

Allen smiled softly as he remembered the time he came back from a long night of gambling to Arianna holding out a large bag of money to him. Although she had gotten it from pick pocketing, it did make him happy that she showed that she cared...

Somewhat.

She also acted as a little nurse and would always bandage his wounds from training with an air of professionalism. Sometimes he would catch her flipping through a medical book once in a while.

She was definitely his personal little finder.

Allen continued to smile, dazed as he reminisced on his and her relationship, completely unaware that he had stopped in the middle of the crowd, causing people to stare at him like he was crazy.

It wasn't until he felt a sharp pinch on his arm, that he snapped out of his trance.

Arianna glared at him, her nose wrinkled slightly from annoyance as she placed her hands on her hips. Allen always thought it was a cute when she did that, it was no wonder to him why she attracted unwanted attention where ever they were with Master.

She huffed and pointed at the exit before she started to pull Allen by the coat towards the it, Timcampy once again lodged in her long curly hair.

Allen laughed as he saw her roll her eyes, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance.

Even though she wasn't as accepting as he wanted her to be...

He couldn't picture being without her.

* * *

Allen absent mindedly played with Arianna's hair as he sat in the back of the friendly circus cart that had been generous enough to give them a ride into town. Arianna fell asleep almost immediately. That was another one of her quirks, when she got on to anything in motion, she would fall asleep if she was allowed.

Her head laid on Allen's lap as she continued to let out soft snores. It was when she wanted to sleep, she didn't seem as distant from Allen. But, in reality, it was because she liked to use him as her personal pillow/heater. Plus, they were used to sleeping together other...

Cross was too neglecting to give them their own beds while they traveled with him.

He watched Timcampy fly haphazardly above them, his grey eyes shone with concern as he chastised his master's golem,

"Timcampy! Timcampy, you should be careful where you fly or one of those cat's will eat cha!", but his warning went unnoticed by the golden golem, which just continued to fly above them happily.

Suddenly a clown and a young woman with a bunny mask on came from the inside of the cart.

"Looks like you could use some food!", the clown said kindly as he handed Allen a wrapped package. It was obvious that he was going to offer some to Arianna, but had noticed that she was sleeping.

"Oh wow, thank you!", Allen replied with a grin as he took the snack from the clown's hand. The bunny woman flounced over,

"Oh, are you on a trip?", she said with an energetic friendly tone.

"No miss, We're just on our way to an important place.", he responded with a soft smile, " We're going to the exorcist's headquarters."

"Hmmm, sounds interesting!", she sang, "Who's the cutie, she ya little sister?".

Allen seemed to ponder of this for a few seconds as he looked back down at Arianna's sleeping form. He gave her a soft smile.

"Yep!", he replied a little too loudly. Arianna stirred and let out a small grumble.

Allen froze, what a stupid mistake he just made!

You see, the only thing Arianna seemed to hate more than Cross was being woken up by anybody but herself.

Her eyes fluttered as she sat up, she rubbed her eyes with a moan.

When she fully opened her eyes, she saw Allen's guilty and fearful expression. Her once peaceful expression turned to one of outmost anger and annoyance, her eyes flashed dangerously as her mouth slowly turned into her evil smile.

Oh Crap!

Allen sweat dropped as he held his arms in surrender.

"Now A-, I mean, Grey..."

Allen mentally slapped himself.

He had just dug himself deeper into his grave since he almost called her by her name.

Arianna cracked her knuckles, her evil smile now turning almost sadistic.

THWACK!

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

**~Meanwhile~**

_"So, have you heard? Apparently a lot of people have disappeared in there. Well, since it was abandoned, travelers without money would sleep in there before the morning train came, but they never make it through the night, only their clothes remain."_

_"Then its gotta be cursed, right? Remember what happened there two years ago!"_

A young woman and middle-aged man could be seen approaching the abandoned church. Rather, the woman stalked towards it with an air of confidence, while the man stood cowering at its gate.

They both had blue police uniforms on and were obviously trying to investigate the mysterious disappearances.

"Come on Moore, you're not really going in there!", the man exclaimed as he clutched at the church's iron wrought fence. "Moore" was already at its door, with a hand on its handle. She turned to face him, a her brown eyes flashing behind her glasses.

"We've been flooded with numerous complaints about this place. Innocent people have been disappearing here.", she said stubbornly to her partner, who was still clutching at the fence.

"How many times do I have to tell you? This building's cursed!", he exclaimed, his eyes widening with fear as he looked up at the run down church. Moore sighed as she turned to the door as she adjusted her police helmet,

"Listen Charles, we're going in there no matter what. This curse talk is a rumor for the civilians not for the police. Now stop being such a baby and let's go!", she exclaimed, a tone of finality in her voice as she opened the door.

"OK...", Charles replied as he apprehensively followed her into the Church.

* * *

The interior of the church was even worse from its exterior, windows were blown out, floor boards uprooted, and a layer of dust covered every surface it had to offer. Charles looked around it's dark room,

"Hahh...Looks like a tornado came through here.", he said to Moore, who was venturing deeper into its dark depths, totally ignoring her partner's distressed tone.

"I can't believe that anyone would choose to spend the night in such filth..", Charles heard her say. Suddenly, something brushed against his leg, making him scream with fright,

"AHHHHHHH!"

Moore whipped around, her eyes filled with fear and concern for her partner.

"What?!"

Charles just screamed again as he felt the same object brush against his leg,

"Something's touching my foot!", he exclaimed as he stood frozen with fright. Moore rolled her eyes as she saw the culprit, she bent down to pick it up from her partner. It was a rather fat cat with white fur and a brown marking on its left ear.

It let out a lazy meow.

"It's just a cat.", she told him.

Suddenly, the church became full of the sound of screeching as a hoard of black bats came flying through the room, blinding Moore and Charles. They both screamed in fright and surprise, Moore more than Charles, as she found herself being chased by some being.

She somehow ended up being flown into the chair in the room upstairs. She coughed as she desperately tried to catch her breath, she could feel someone's hand putting pressure on her right shoulder.

"I gotcha!...Huh...Who are you? What are you doing in this place?!", she heard someone ask.

The voice sounded like a young male's, as if he hadn't gone through puberty yet. (a/n: poor Allen XD)

"You just made a big mistake!", she seethed, her face still hidden by her helmet.

"You're a cop?!", she heard him exclaim, "Wait, Grey don't!". She turned to where he focused his voice, behind her was a girl with grey hair, she couldn't have been more than 13 years old.

What surprised her was that she was holding a knife to her neck. The mystery girl, who she suspected to be "Grey", brought her knife into her sleeve as she stared blankly at Moore. Moore quickly recovered and exclaimed as she quickly hand cuffed them together,

"That's right, and you're both under arrest!"

For a split second, she thought that the girl might have laughed at her, as she let out a sort of soft snort. The boy, who looked slightly older, raised his hands in surrender as he continued to say,

"Look, I'm really sorry. We were just trying to catch that cat! I guess that we got a little carried away and got a hold of you instead!"

The light from the window brought Moore's two mystery assailants in to her view much clearer. They were both wearing rather scruffy traveler clothes, except the girl wore a sort of tan jacket or dress. Nether the less, they both had very peculiar appearances.

The older boy had brilliant white hair that hung over his face in messy layers, but didn't hide his rather unusually shaped scar over his left side of his face.

The girl, however, had grey hair that hung in loose tendrils that went down to her waist. They both had grey eyes, although the girl's were much lighter, as if they were molten silver.

It was obvious that they were related.

"It's OK, believe me, we're with the good guys! We honestly had no idea that this place had such a stigma around it. Heck, we just got into town a few hours ago on the train and then we ran into this annoying little cat. The fur-ball ate something important of ours so we chased him. Next thing I know, we were in here!", he said kindly as he raised his arms in surrender.

The girl just looked away as she fixated her gaze on the cat, a rather cold aura radiated from her, it made Moore slightly uncomfortable.

"Hmmmm...", Moore looked the pair up and down, as if trying to test their truthfulness.

The boy seemed to panic at this, as he exclaimed.

"You think I'm making this up! Master said that it was my responsibility and that he'd have our heads if we let anything happen to it!"

The girl, however, was approaching the cat, her silver eyes squinted in concentration as she attempted to grab it. It just purred slightly as it let her pick it up with ease. For a moment, Moore thought that she saw the girl's expression soften. She turned back to the boy,

"Really? May I speak to this Master?", she asked incredulously. She saw both stiffen, the boy sweat-dropped while the girl seemed to go into a slight depression.

"Ehhhh...Sorry, he went missing in India a few months ago...", he said quietly, not looking into her eyes. The cat suddenly jumped from the girl's arms to the arm of the chair as it purred against the boy's arm.

"This is all your fault!", he exclaimed as small tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. The girl just sighed as she rolled her eyes at her brother. Moore stood in momentary silence, in deep thought, before she answered,

"Just hold on a second then, I have to get my partner, I'll be back soon."

Suddenly Charles's ear-splitting scream pierced the air, Moore rounded on its sound in alarm. The girl and boy seemed to stiffen at its sound, as if it was something they had heard before.

"Huh?! Ahh! What's that?", Moore exclaimed as she quickly opened the door and ran down the stairs, leaving the boy and girl alone in the room. After she left, the Arianna walked over to Allen and began to pick at the lock on his left hand. It clicked open, releasing Allen from its binds.

They shared a knowing look as they both ran out of the room, Arianna quickly pulled a small gas mask over her face.

* * *

Moore ran down the steps, finally coming back into the church's main room. She squinted through the smoke.

"Hello?!", she yelled. The smoke cleared, revealing an impaled Charles gasping and groaning in pain, his mouth open as he twitched uncontrollably.

Moore couldn't believe what she was seeing, she seemed to be frozen as she watched in horror as Charle's body became covered in black stars before he exploded in a cloud of dust and gas.

"No...Charles..."

Suddenly, Moore began to gasp. She clutched at her throat as she desperately tried to catch her breath, her eyes widened with fear. A gloved hand appeared behind her as it pressed a green clothe over her nose and mouth. She turned and saw the boy and girl behind her.

"Breathe easy, this gas is very poisonous. This is the work of an akuma.", She heard him say as she felt herself quickly lose conciousness.

"Officer!"

* * *

Allen started to panic, the female officer laid limp in his arms. Arianna, however, remained calm, as usual and took one of the officer's arms and pulled it over her shoulder. She gestured for Allen to do the same.

There wasn't much of a height difference, seeing that she already came past his shoulders, much to Allen's dismay. Therefore they held the officer between themselves quite comfortably.

Arianna pointed to the door, obviously telling Allen that they had to get her out of here. She didn't have a gas mask like Arianna did, nor did she have Allen's healing abilities due to his innocence.

They hurried out into the street, the surrounding people stared at them open-mouthed. It was now, Arianna actually spoke,

"Police station?", she asked the crowd in her soft voice, but stared back at them with a powerful gaze. A few of them pointed down the street, still silent out of shock. Arianna nodded stiffly and guided Allen in the right direction. She walked quickly, as usual, as Allen hurried to keep up.

They hurriedly made their way to the station...

But knew that their troubles had just begun.

* * *

~At The Police Station~

Moore let out a soft groan as she sat up, her police jacket was off and so was her helmet, allowing her long brown hair to flow to her side,

"Ughhh...My head..."

One of her fellow policemen pulled her by the arm, leading her to the questioning room rather roughly as he knocked on the door.

"Finally, you're awake! Chief, Moore's ready for questioning!", he yelled as he continued to pound on the door, pulling a disgruntled Moore by the arm.

"Good, bring her in!", she heard the chief's scratchy voice say with annoyance.

Moore felt herself being pushed roughly into the room, she staggered as she regained her balance and readjusted her glasses on her face. Sitting at the table, looking rather confused and scared as the boy and girl who saved her.

The girl's hands were cuffed and she had a very annoyed expression as she glared up at Moore.

"Those kids, captain I!", she exclaimed, only to be interrupted,

"We know...", sad the police officer who brought her in as the chief continued, "We're questioning the main suspect right now!"

"Huh?...", Moore said in surprise, her glasses falling down her nose as she sweat dropped.

The boy smiled at her, the same expression as hers on his face while the girl continued to glare as she fumbled with the cuffs around her hands.

The captain glared at the pair over his papers, causing the boy to jump up in fright but not phasing the girl at all.

"So, you're Allen Walker and Grey?", he said apprehensively as a vein in his forehead began to bulge. "Grey" just gave him a glare that rivaled his own, causing the police man standing behind him to bristle. T

he captain slammed his hand down on the table roughly, the boy let out a soft scream of fright as he began to tremble.

"Admit it, you did it!", he screamed as Allen pulled away from him, comical tears starting to spew from his eyes. Moore watched in shock.

"I've told you, we're innocent. What proof do you have that I did it?! All we did was save the life of one of your officers before she succummed to the gas!", he exclaimed.

"A witness put you at the scene of the crime. Why were you there?,", the chief continued, his eyes widened in shock as he grabbed Allen's left hand, "Look at your hand, it's covered with blood!". Arianna let out a small cough, obviously thinking that the captain was being an idiot.

"No it's not! That's its natural color!", Allen exclaimed as he flinched at the captain's touch, the glove that he used to cover the glowing green cross imbedded in his hand ripped, revealing it to the captain who pulled away in shock. Moore felt herself stare at it, her mouth slightly open.

"What? What the hell is that?! It's glowing green for christ sake!,", he screamed as he pointed at the pain of them, "It's not looking good for you right now I can only imagine your parents are very disappointed in you." Allen stared blankly up at him.

Arianna lowered her head, the same icy aura seemed to intensify as she glared at him from under her bangs. A soft click was heard through the room as she managed to pick the lock of her hand cuffs and placed it on the table.

They stared at her in shock, she smiled sweetly, Allen sweat dropped.

"Excuse me, sir. and this girl was with me the entire time before Charles was killed.", Moore said quickly as she placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. The chief looked outraged,

"What?!", he exclaimed as the officer who brought Moore in whispered in his ear for a few moments, the captain turning redder by the minute.

"Why did you pass out?! Explain yourself Moore!", the captain yelled in her face. Moore looked down, an expression of dejection on her face.

"I'm sorry I failed you sir...", she said softly. The captain softened slightly as he leaned back into his chair, his arms behind his head. He sighed,

"I can't believe that you didn't get a look at the killer's face when you were right there.", he said as he peered over at her. Allen raised his hand, an innocent look on his face. Arianna looked over at them, her lip twitched as if she was suppressing a smirk.

"Uhhh...I think I know what you're looking for. Although I didn't actually see it with my own eyes, I know who did it. I can help you if you allow me. You're suspect is what's called an akuma. Their common and their very deadly to humans. It will keep killing until we stop it, and it's important you make the first strike before it becomes too strong.", he said as he held up his left arm, the cross seemed to glow even more than before.

"An akuma?...", Moore said in disbelief. Allen continued,

"This is an anti-akuma weapon, now is anyone familiar with exorcists? Don't worry we're with the clergymen whose sole purpose is to hunt akuma."

A shocked silence filled the room. The captain snorted with disbelief,

"Oh, _exorcists_. What a load of crap!", he said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. He let out a deep sigh,

"Ahh...Yep, you're free to leave. Now get out of my sight. I'm heading back to my office...", he said tiredly. But suddenly rounded at Moore,

"Officer Moore! and are to never leave your sight, you got that!", he screamed as he pointed at her.

They all sweat dropped as he turned to exit the room.

_Huh?_

* * *

~With Officer Moore~

"Mark? Mark, I'm home! You feeling any better?", Moore cried out as she went up the stairs and into her brother's room. Mark stood by the window, still in his wheel chair with deep bags underneath his eyes, his face gaunt.

"Welcome home, Moore. You came home earlier today, what's the occasion?"

Moore frowned at him as she saw that his food laid untouched on the table, she sighed as she walked to him, bending down to see eye to eye,

"Look, Mark. You've haven't been eating anything at all these days. How do you expect to have any strength?"

Mark just sighed and stared blankly at her,

"I've just hadn't had an appetite...It's fine...Don't worry, I'll be hungry again soon."

Moore smiled at him as she gripped one of his hands,

"Whatever you do, don't stop fighting, my sister would have wanted it that way."

Suddenly a series of crashes and screams came from outside of the room, Moore recognized them as Allen's. She rushed out of the room.

In front of her was Allen on the ground, clutching the cat in his arms as a picture frame bounced off his head. While Grey, stood over him, her silver eyes twitching with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

Moore placed her hands on her hips,

"Real nice, let me take a guess, you guys were trying to get to the crime scene."

Allen smiled sweetly at her as he scratched the side of his face,

"Just for a second."

A vein in Moore's forehead twitched,

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

* * *

"So tell me Allen, just how confident are you that the killer's an actual akuma?", Moore asked from her chair as she flipped through her encyclopedia.

Allen, who was looking out the window, turned to look at her, his eyes filled with kind understanding. Grey just let out a soft snort as she nibbled on some bread. Moore couldn't tell if it was out of mean amusement or that she had choked on her food.

"This encyclopedia says that akuma are imaginary demons that were created by ancient civilization to explain illness and natural disasters. You're telling me that's our killer? Some make believe demon? I'm not buying it.", she said as she raised one of her eyebrows in disbelief.

"The encyclopedia is talking about something entirely different from what we're looking for.", Allen responded.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a soft voice rang from the corner of the room, Allen and Moore turned to face Arianna in surprise,

"Akuma is also the name of a weapon. Weapons that are specifically created to target mankind are the akuma I help Allen find. They take on the form of humans, so they're very difficult to find...for a normal person.", she said with a blank expression on her face, as she obviously tried to ignore Allen's happy reaction to her speaking.

He was bout to say something, when the door suddenly burst open, revealing a sickly looking man in a wheelchair. He started to scream and convulse uncontrollably.

Arianna jumped in surprise, immediately putting herself in a fighting stance as she gave Allen a sideways glance. Allen was staring at the man in the wheel chair. Moore ran forward in concern,

"Mark, are you OK?! What's wrong?!"

Allen's left eye transformed into its red and black target as he let out a surprised gasp. Suddenly, the man burst out of his skin, letting out one last scream of pain before twisting into a grotesque machine.

It pointed its gun at the dumfounded Moore, Arianna ran forward, as did Allen. It shot, blasting the window open, causing them to fly out of it. Miraculously, they made it back into the church.

Allen took the brunt of the fall. He groaned in pain as Arianna shook bits of glass out of her hair, the side of her face was cut.

"Moore, can you hear me? Are you hurt?", she heard him say.

Moore let out a cough as she opened her eyes,

"Where are we?", she asked quietly.

"Back at the church."

"What's that? Don't tell me that you actually caught the bullet!", she exclaimed as her eyes widened at the sight of a large-caliber bullet in Allen's left hand. She reached out to touch it, but Allen quickly pulled it away.

"Don't touch it! This came from an akuma. Each bullet is filled with an extremely destructive virus. They use a defense system where they turn their bodies into guns, making them highly effective killers. After a bullet hits you, it takes less than a minute for the virus to eat away your insides.", he said sadly as the cat's body became covered with black stars and burst like Charles had.

"I couldn't save you kitty, I'm sorry.", he said softly. Allen turned to Arianna who was tending to the deep gash on her cheek, she rolled her eyes as she gave him an Ok sign.

"So then, tell me, what happened to Mark?", Moore asked, visibly shaken from what she had just seen. Allen turned to face her once again,

"Well, Akuma take over a dead person's body to blend in with society. That wasn't your brother, Moore. An akuma had already killed him and taken him for his corpse.", he said grimly.

"So, you mean that Mark was already dead...", Moore said in a small voice as her eyes widened with pain. Allen nodded with a sad smile, as Arianna turned away, her face in the shadows of her hair. Suddenly, Allen turned to look at the window, his eyes widened and quickly pulled Moore and Arianna behind him.

"Come here!"

A loud crash emanated throughout the building as the akuma wearing Mark's body barged its way into the church. From the corner of his eye, he saw the police captain and his troop run forward.

"Hey! What in the hell are you three doing here!", he screamed.

"Captain!", Allen yelled as he motioned for him to get out of there. The captain and his crew turned to face the akuma, uniform looks of fear and disbelief on their faces.

"Oh my God! What in the hell is that? Men, fire!", the captain screamed as he pointed at the akuma. They fired, but their bullets seemed to ricocheted off its metal armor.

"Your guns are useless! Get out of there while you still can!", Allen tried to warn them, but they couldn't hear him over the cross fire. Arianna watched with a slightly pained glow in her eyes as she tugged gently at Moore's shirt, trying to get her to look away from the carnage unfolding before them.

The akuma fired it's guns into the crowd, the cacophony of bullets firing and men screaming was sickening loud. Moore stared wide-eyed as she watched her coworkers explode before her.

"Oh no..Captain? Oh my God...", she said disbelieving. Tears started to flow down her face as she screamed up at it,

"You damn monster! Why did you have to kill them?! Tell me!".

Allen placed a hand on her shoulder as he look at her sadly,

"It can't hear you. Look, it's not doing it because it wants to, it's programmed to do nothing but seek evolution through murder.", he said calmly.

"So your just a mindless killing machine?!", she screamed as she pointed at it, tears still flowing down her face.

"No. They're living weapons that carry around the souls of others. These souls are controlled by the maker and are conscious to whats happened to them. Their left to agonized over their sins, fully aware of their situation, but unable to do anything about it. All of these pent up feelings are used as energy for the akuma, allowing it to evolve quickly and efficiently.",

he explained as he scrutinized his gaze on the akuma above them.

"I can see this akuma's soul. Hold on...its a woman, she has a strong connection to Mark. Akuma are machines not made of mechanical parts, but from the sorrow experienced by the souls they inhabit. Everyone has a dark side within their heart. the maker seeks out anyone whose dark side has grown due to a recent personal tragedy and transforms them into akuma"

"Tragedy...", she muttered to herself.

Moore froze as her eyes widened in realization, a horrified expression making its way on to her face.

"No, it can't be! Impossible, there's no way that's my sister!", she screamed as she fell to her knees in shock. Allen stepped in front of them, taking off the glove on his left hand,

"Sacred cross that dwells within me. Grant me the power to destroy this evil darkness. Bring forth salvation to this tormented soul.", she heard him say under his breath as his arm turned into a large mechanical claw.

He launched himself forward, quickly slicing the akuma in front of them. Arianna watched with a baffling mixture of different emotions in her silver orbs. Moore stared at him, her eyes glazed over with tears.

The akuma exploded, a strange blue orb floated down from the wreckage. Allen held his hands as if he were about to catch it, it disappeared before it touched his fingers. Moore could swear that she heard her sister's voice.

**_Thank you._**

* * *

They sat in silence.

"My brother and Claire...They're in heaven, right?", Moore asked as she turned to Allen, who smiled at her encouragingly,

"Together, and happy...for sure!"

She turned her gaze on her feet, letting her hair fall in front of her face,

"I just don't understand...", she muttered quietly. Arianna looked at her blankly, as if she wasn't sure if she should comfort her or not. Allen sighed as he started to explain,

"He's called the Millenium Earl...thats the name the maker goes by. He's enacted a plan to wipe out mankind if he were to succeed. As an exorcist. It's my job to put an end to his reign."

Suddenly, Timcampy appeared out of Arianna's hair, whose eyes widened in shock. He flew over to Allen as if trying to tell him something. Arianna got up, brushing the dust off of her dress coat as she did. Allen did the same,

"Are you ready? Let's get out of here.", he said as he gestured to Arianna and Timcampy.

They turned to exit the church, Allen gave a last fleeting look at Moore.

She gave him a soft smile, and closed her eyes,

**_Thank you._**

* * *

**AS YOU CAN TELL, ANOTHER REASON WHY IT TOOK ME LONGER TO WRITE THIS WAS THAT I HAD TO RE-WATCH THE FIRST EPISODE AND HAND WRITTEN EVERY LINE (LOL IT WAS A LOT OF WORK, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET THE SCRIPT OTHERWISE). I'LL ONLY HAVE TO DO THIS ONCE IN A WHILE, BECAUSE NOT ARIANNA WON'T BE WITH ALLEN ALL THE TIME...SHE HAS A LIFE XD.**

**I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!**

**REVIEW PLEASE :)**

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

**:3**


	9. Chapter 7: The Black Order

**SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN WHILE! I CAN SEE THAT MY READERS HAS SUFFERED BECAUSE OF IT ;_;**

** I GOT CAUGHT UP IN SOME SHIZ :(**

**CURRENTLY, I'M BACK IN NH (STEALING THE NEIGHBOR'S INTERNET XD), SPENDING "FAMILY" TIME...AND BY THAT, I MEAN WATCHING MY OLDER BROTHER PLAYING "NUTBALL" (AN ORIGINAL GAME) WITH MY YOUNGER BROTHER. **

**LET ME EXPLAIN..."NUTBALL" IS AN EXTREMELY _INTELLIGENT_ GAME OF CHICKEN INVOLVING A LARGE ORANGE. THE PARTICIPANTS CHUCK SAID ORANGE AT EACH OTHER'S CROTCHES UNTIL ONE OF THEM GIVES UP...THEN THE LOSER HAS TO EAT THE ORANGE...**

**AREN'T THEY SMART XD.**

**L: "Wanna play ~Yuuu~"**

**K: "Che, Hell no! That's retarded!"**

**A: "You're just chicken!"**

**Me: "NOW, NOW. SETTLE THIS LIKE MEN." *holds up an orange, smile's evilly* "HERE, I'LL START!" *chucks it into Kanda's crotch***

**K: "AHHHHHH, THE HELL WOMAN!"**

***Lavi and Allen sweat-dropped***

**WELL, ON THAT LOVELY NOTE (AND YES, I FIND IT EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING TO TORTURE KANDA :D...BUT I LOVE HIM, DON'T WORRY!)**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

Arianna found herself walking down the familiar halls of her family's mansion, the same halls where she had truly felt loved and happy. A broad smile spread across her face as she took in the extraordinarily, beautiful sights of her home...

Her**_ true_** home.

She relished the feeling of her soft, silk dress against her skin. Her pale complexion was now unblemished and smooth, instead of the scars that she had come to know.

Her long grey tendrils were tied up in an elegant knot at the top of her head, revealing her thin neck to the cool air. Straightening her posture, she continued down the elegant halls as she prepared herself to be reunited with her family.

Her heart began to beat with excitement as she reached the door to the dining room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open with her delicately gloved hands.

Her shell pink lips spread into an even wider smile as her family came into view, small tears of joy pricked the sides of her eyes. She seemed to illuminate with spirit that she had been missing for the time they were apart.

She ran forward, completely ready to embrace them with all her heart. But a sudden chill pierced her soul as they stared at her with contempt, their faces casted in shadows.

**_"What is this? Slime has seemed to have been tracked into our house."_**, Sheril said vindictively, a tone that was sounded so surreal to her.

She felt her heart drop into her stomach as he glared at her, he did not show the excitement or tenderness that she had come to know and love.

They all looked at her as if she was something extremely disgusting and dirty that was tracked into their house. Arianna felt as if she couldn't move, as if she was frozen to her spot as her "family" began to circle her like a flock of vultures.

_**"Ungrateful brat!"**_

_**"Useless, disgusting thing!"**_

_**"She is one of them, part of the disgusting Black Order."**_

Insults continued to flow from their mouths, each cutting into her soul with more power and destruction than the last. She couldn't talk, even though she wanted to tell them everything...

She wanted to tell them why.

**_"Betrayer!"_**

_**"...Thought she was one of us..."**_

Tears started to flow down her face as her family continued to circle her, looking at her with hateful molten gold eyes. What was worse was that the twins didn't join them in their harassment.

They just watched from the sidelines with blank faces, unmoving and unforgiving.

Her mouth opened in desperation as she tried to beg them for forgiveness with her eyes.

**_"Do you love us, Arianna?"_**, they asked simultaneously, their golden eyes piercing into her's.

She started to shake as she desperately mouthed words that refused to come out, as if there was a mysterious force that cruelly prevented her from speaking.

She collapsed in despair, looking up to them as muted sobs shook her body. Debbito stepped forward, bending down so that they were at the same level.

He stared at her with such intensity, she thought that she was going to burst into flames. She tried to voice her thoughts through her expression, hoping that he would see what she was trying to say to him with her eyes...

No such luck.

**_"Do you love me, Arianna?",_** he asked, Arianna's heart clenched at the sound of his voice she had desperately missed.

She wanted to scream, to reassure him she did, but nothing came out. Her hands formed fists at her sides, her fingernail's cutting into her palms as she shook with frustration and despair.

She watched hopelessly as she saw Debbito's expression darken, he raised his hand, pressing his gun to her forehead.

She closed her eyes, tears running down her face as she braced herself for the inevitable.

**_"I guess not..."_**

**_BANG!_**

* * *

Arianna woke up in a cold sweat, gasping, her silver eyes wide with fear.

Her cheeks were wet, and her pillow had the unmistakable evidence that she was crying in her sleep again. For the past few weeks, she had been haunted by the same nightmare, undoubtedly caused by her impending arrival to the Black Order with Allen.

**_It was just another nightmare,_** she told herself repeatedly as she tried to regain her breath.

Timcampy hovered above her head, as if he were worried for her. Arianna let out a deep sigh of frustration as she threw herself back onto her pillows, bringing up her arms to obscure her face from view.

Sobs started to wrack her body as she started to hyperventilate, tears slowly running down her face.

"Ar-, I mean, Grey, what's wrong?", Allen asked, rubbing his eyes as he slowly woke up.

Allen's eyes widened with realization as he took in Arianna's unstable mental state. He quickly jumped out of his bed and started to rummage through his suit case, desperately trying to find the thing that would help her.

"Hold on, Grey! You're going to be Ok!", he yelled back to her as he dug deeper, completely ignoring the mess that he was making.

Finally, Allen ran back to Arianna , holding a small bottle in his right hand and a flask of water in triumph. He quickly shook out two pills from the bottle and held them to her. She took them quickly and washed them down with hurried gulps from her flask.

Slowly, her pulse returned to normal, her vision cleared, and there was no longer a throbbing pain in her head. She let out deep breaths as she began to recover from her panic attack.

Allen rubbed her back soothingly as he looked at her with concern. Timcampy fluttered above her as he slowly spiraled down to rest on her shoulder, snuggling against her neck.

Her breathing slowly went back to normal. The trio sat in silence for a few minutes before Arianna's eyes flew open. She roughly shrugged away from Allen's touch, and in her haste, caused Timcampy to dislodge from her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!", she exclaimed harshly, as she pulled her blankets closer to herself.

Her voice was raspy and her silver eyes seemed to be glazed over. Grey tendrils curled around her head in a messy afro of sorts, adding to her slightly crazed aura.

Allen watched her with careful eyes as he slowly spaced himself from her, his hands raised as Timcampy landed his head.

"I'm sorry, Grey...", Allen said softly, "...It's just that this was the fifth time in the matter of weeks! You've never had this many attacks in such rapid succession!". Arianna turned away from him as she continued to bring her sheets closer to herself.

"Hmph...", she replied, purposly avoiding Allen's concerned gaze.

"We can wait a few more days if you're not feeling well...", he continued, as he got up from her bed. Arianna quickly shot him a glare.

"No! You becoming a officail exorcist is our top priority.", she said through her teeth as she quickly got out of her bed, roughly throwing her sheets aside.

Allen could see the plethora of scars that lined her body as she unintentionally revealed her marred skin from beneath her disheveled night-dress. He quickly looked away, his face turning pink. Arianna looked at him questioningly, as she grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom.

"Get ready. We'll leave in a half hour.", she said bluntly, shutting the door firmly behind her. Allen let out a deep sigh as he shook his head, causing Tim to wobble on top of his white locks.

Sometimes he didn't know what to do with that girl.

He looked up at Timcampy, and gently took him off of his head.

"Come on, Tim, you heard what Ari said! Help me pack!" Although, Arianna's recent condition concerned him, he couldn't help but feel excitement bubble up in his chest...

They were going to the Black Order at last!

* * *

**_~A Few Hours Later~_**

The next thing he knew, Allen was scaling an extremely steep cliff while Arianna and their luggage was strapped securely on to his back. He let out pants of exhaustion as he continued to climb, Timcampy flew above him as he joined a group of black uniform golems ahead of them.

Arrianna's soft snores tickled the back of Allen's neck, making it difficult for him to keep his concentration. You see, the medicine that calmed her panic attacks has one prominent side effect...

It made her fall asleep...as if it worked a little too well.

Not only that, but her sleeping spells are extremely unpredictable. In fact, they were just half way up the cliff when she fell asleep, Allen had to quickly grab her to prevent her from falling to her inevitable doom.

Arianna mumbled something in her sleep, her warm breath causing Allen to jump with surprise, making him almost lose his grasp on the ledge. Comical tears of exhaustion started to flow down his face.

It wasn't that she was heavy, in fact, Allen thought that she felt to light and made a mental note to himself to feed her more. Rather, it was because she was making it even harder for him to climb up the stupid cliff!

If she were awake, he was sure that they would have reached the top in half the time. Allen suspected that she would be the one telling him to hurry up, as she would have easily made her way up the scalene edge.

But, for now, she laid peacefully on his back in some drug-induced dream world.

"Wh...why the heck did they build it in a place like this?!", he said exasperated.

Allen struggled, desperate to reach the top, which he graciously saw. With one last pull of effort, he managed to throw himself on the ledge, now facing the mysterious tower in front of him.

The Black Order, he had made it!

"I've finally arrived...The Black Order.", he said with relief. Allen sat for a few minutes, half recovering, half taking in the sights of the intimidating tower before him.

It was cast in shadows, and through the darkness, Allen could see clouds of what seemed to be bats flying around it. It gave off a very powerful aura. Allen sweat dropped, a look of disbelief and concern etched onto his face,

"...Or did I really."

He let out a deep sigh as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Allen adjusted Arianna into a more comfortable position as he removed their luggage, taking it into his right hand.

"This is the place, right, Timcampy?", Allen asked the golden golem, which just fluttered above his head in an approving fashion before resting on Arianna's hood.

"In any case, I'll just go find out.", he said as he adjusted his cuffs, making himself look presentable. Allen walked towards the large gate of the tower.

The sight of the pair was undoubtedly very strange, and unknowing to them, someone was watching them.

* * *

**_~Inside The Black Order~_**

"Who's that?", asked a spiky haired blonde man who wore a rumpled lab coat as he sprawled lazily on the couch. A multitude of scientists gathered behind him, they were all transfixed on the hologram like screen.

"So he actually climbed the cliff?", asked a young man with large glasses and extremely curly hair. The rather large man next to him pointed at the screen,

"He's coming this way!", he exclaimed. They all moved closer, but the closest was a very pretty oriental girl. She wore a black and white uniform, that signified that she was an exorcist. Her mini skirt rose slightly above mid-thigh as she bent over to get a better look at Allen and Arianna.

Suddenly, an asian man with an elaborate white coat and beret came walking into the group. His glasses shined in the light as he took a sip of his coffee from his bunny mug,

"Why is there children outside, you know we don't take kindly to strangers,", he said bluntly as his glasses shined, ", Someone go and push them off."

The blonde man just pointed at the screen, motioning to the boy,

"Ahhh, Cheif Komui...He doesn't seem to be an outsider, he seemed to know how to get here.".

It was the emerald hair exorcist who pointed out the golden blob that was Timcampy to the others.

"Look brother, that's General Cross's golem!", she said in a sweet, girly tone.

_**"Excuse me! my name is Allen walker. I'm here on referral from General Cross Marian. I would like to see an executive of the Order, please.", **_they heard him say.

**_"H_**e's General Cross's apprentice?", a curly-haired man with glasses asked his friend, who stood beside him.

"I thought that the General was dead...", he replied nonchalantly. There were murmurs of agreement throughout the crowd. The blonde man turned to Komui,

"He says that he's here on referral. Do you know anything about this chief?", he asked. The asian man just took another long sip from his bunny mug. After a few moments of awkward silence, he responded,

"Afraid not.", he said with an almost bored look on his face. The blonde man sighed and put an earpiece into his left ear so he could address the pair of strangers,

"Hmm...Take a physical exam by the Gatekeeper!"

The group leaned forward, intrigued by the scene that began to unveil before them.

* * *

**_~Back To Allen~_**

"What?", Allen asked under his breath as he turned to the door. He adjusted Arianna on his back, who let out a soft sigh, and placed their luggage beside him.

Allen looked up at the strange easter island-like head that was attached to the fortified gate. He gave a polite smile as he looked up at the figure with curiosity.

"Ah, hello!", he said kindly. Suddenly, the statue got right into his face, causing him to bristle with surprise. Arianna grunted at his sudden movement, but otherwise continued to sleep soundly.

_**"Be prepared to take an x-ray exam to determine whether you're an akuma or a human!"**_, the Gatekeeper exclaimed as his eyes seemed to pop out of his head. Two beams of light focused from his eyes onto Arianna's sleeping face. A few seconds passed as he took her under his scrutinious gaze.

_**"She passes!", **_he finally exclaimed. Allen sighed in relief relaxed his protective grasp on her, placing her gently against the wall as he stepped forward for his examination.

But after a few minutes, the Gatekeeper's beams started to flash haphazardly,

**_"Huh, what's wrong with this thing I can't get a reading!"_**, he exclaimed as small beads of sweat appeared miraculously on his stony surface. Suddenly, he screamed, causing Allen to jump with shock.

**_"He fails! _**_**He's cursed! The pentacle on his forehead is a mark of the Millenium Earl, he's here to kill us! What's worse is that he's got a hostage! Somebody kill him, save us!"**_, the Gatekeeper exclaimed as comical tears and snot began to spew from his eyes and nose.

"Ahhh...No way...", Allen exclaimed as he sweat dropped. He made to grab Arianna but had no time, as an intimidating samurai landed in front of him, his sword raised.

"You have a lot of guts, coming here akuma!", he said scathingly as he glared down at Allen with a cold gaze that could have frozen lava.

"Wait a sec! There seems to be some misunderstanding!", Allen said desperately, shielding Arianna as best he could, with one hand raised in surrender.

The onyx haired exorcist paid his pleas no attention as he brought his hand to his sword, trailing his hand across its surface.

"Mugen, unsheath!", Allen heard him say quietly, a glowing energy illuminated from its sharp blade.

The samurai slashed his sword through the air, causing an energy wave to flow towards him. Allen activated his left arm to protect himself and Arianna, his eyes widened in shock as he saw that there was a slash in his arm. The samurai's dark eyes tinged with slight interest,

"Whats with that arm of yours?", he asked, his powerful gaze never leaving Allen's face.

"It's my anti-akuma weapon, I'm an exorcist!", he responded, now returning an equally cold glare as he stepped closer of Arianna.

"What?! Gate keeper!", Kanda yelled as he adverted his gaze to the sniveling Gatekeeper. Allen watched as the Gatekeeper cried vindictively,

_**"But he had the mark of an akuma. I rather be safe than sorry!". ** _Allen ran up to him, comical tears flowing from his eyes as he banged his fists on the still crying statue. All the while, Arianna slept soundly, her hood veiling her hair from view as Timcampy landed on her head.

**_"_**I'm human! Its true im a little cursed, but im not an akuma!", he cried.

"Well, fine. We'll find out once i cut up your insides. I'll slice you up with my mugen...", the samurai-exorcist said bluntly as he watched Allen with a blank expression on his face as he raised his sword. Allen turned to him as he stepped in front of Arianna, raising his arm in defense.

"What!... Wait, really, wait, I'm not really your enemy!", Allen exclaimed, "A referral letter should've been sent from master Cross himself!". The stoic exorcist paused, his sword almost touching Allen between the eyes.

"A referral letter from he general?", he asked. Allen shook with nervous energy as he responded,

"Yeah...It was addressed to some guy named Komui...". An awkward silence filled the air as a black uniformly shaped golem floated to Kanda's side,

**_"Kanda stop the attack, he's friendly, I repeat he's friendly!" _**, a man's panicked voice bellowed from it.

"Komui, mind filling me in?!", the angry exorcist exclaimed, a vein pulsing in his forehead. Allen cautiously approached Arianna, never taking his eyes off of the man who attacked him as he gently pulled her back on to his back and grabbed their luggage.

**_"Sorry this kid is General Cross's apprentice, he's one of us."_**, another man's voice issued from the flying golem,**_"__._..Anyways the_ fact that Timcampy is with him is proof enough!. _**There was a childish-like tone in his voice.

Kanda continued to glare at Allen, his sword raised in caution. Suddenly a clipboard seemed to come out of nowhere and hit him sharply on the side of his head.

"Kanda, stop it with the macho head games! Now get in before I close the gate!", an extremely pretty girl with long, emerald pig-tails exclaimed.

Her pale lips were pressed into an annoyed pout, making her even cuter. Allen blinked a slight blush on his face while Kanda glared at her, holding his hand to his head where she had hit him.

She wore a female version of Kanda's uniform, complete with a shorter jacket and mini skirt.

"I said to get in!", she said, as she waved her finger at them, chastising them. Kanda let out a "Che" as he pushed past her, Allen sweat-dropped as he adjusted Arianna on his back and followed the two through the gate...

Allen would never would have guessed what horrors waited for him inside.

* * *

_**~With The Science Branch~**_

**_"She's so cute!"_**

**"I wonder if she's the newbie's sister, they look a lot alike!"**

**_"The bigger question is why is the Chief allowing her to stay here?!"_**

**_"I think that he said something about her becoming a finder."_**

**_"What?! But she's too young!"_**

The science group continued to discuss the enigma, that was girl who laid sleeping on the couch. It had been hours since Allen had arrived with her on his back, before leaving with Komui for basic protocol.

Komui had suggested that the Science division "babysit" her while he and Allen left to repair his innocence and visit Hevalska (Allen didn't know that part...). Allen reluctantly agreed and warned them of her "temper" if they woke her up. He also informed them why she was sleeping in the first place.

They were too busy swapping rumors to notice that she started to wake up. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, making the blanket that covered her to fall. Bringing her hand to her head, she brushed stray tendrils from her face as she observed her surroundings with glazed eyes.

"Hmnn?!", she softly exclaimed as her vision seemed to clear. This caused the gang to finally notice that she was awake.

"Oh crap! She's awake!", The man with spiky, blonde hair shouted. All of the men started to panic. Seeing that they were all workaholics, none of them had much experience when it came to children...

make that no experience.

All of their hysteria made Arianna blink twice, she started to seriously question if she was still dreaming. But an asian girl with pig-tails came walking in, she wore the uniform of an exorcist. Arianna's eyes widened in momentary fear. She immediately, unconsciously scanned the room for Allen, but the white-haired idiot was nowhere to be found.

"Hi, there! You must be Allen's little sister, Grey. I'm Lenalee, its pleasure to meet you!", she said kindly, her amethyst eyes sparkling with excitement as she smiled down to her. Arianna just sent her a cold glare, as if evaluating what her intentions were.

Despite her chilling gaze, Lenalee's smile didn't falter as she held out her hand. Slowly, cautiously, she took the asian's hand, shaking it apprehensively. The anxiously watching crowd, visibly relaxed at this gesture of friendship.

Arianna could tell that Allen must had warned them about her.

* * *

**_~A Few Hours Earlier~_**

"Remember, she doesn't like it when someone wakes her up. And she is very shy towards crowds of unknown people. She is also extremely paranoid, so don't be surprised if she attacks one of you. And if she has one of her panic attacks, her medicine is in her bag...she only needs two pills. Be warned, they will make her fall asleep at the most random times, and sometimes for hours at a time...which is why she's sleeping now.", Allen said quickly as he placed her on the couch in the middle of the room.

He sounded like an overprotective mother, it was almost like they were seeing another Komui...

Almost.

They all sweat-dropped as he continued in a hurried tone,

"She hates sweets for some reason, and she is a very picky eater. You will probably need to force her to eat. Never mention Cross in front of her, or family...that's her two trigger words. Never, I mean, Never try to give her a doll. The only thing that I am sure that she likes are books, so if she tries to kill you distract her with what you've got.", he finished as he panted slightly, trying to recover from his rant.

They take back the 'Almost'.

Lenalee smiled at him encouragingly, as she pressed a hand to his shoulder.

"Don't worry Allen, the science division is more than capable to watch over Arianna.", she said with a kind smile. Allen flinched and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly,

"Oh, yeah...never call her by her real name. Actually, she'd probably kill me if she knew that I even told you guys.", he said with a sad smile. Lenalee frowned and tilted her head in a questioning manner.

"Then, what should we call her?" she asked. The Science division all agreed with her, desperate to avoid being slaughtered by this second Kanda-like child...

At least, that's what they could infer about her from what Allen had told them.

"She responds to Grey.", he responded bluntly. They all frowned at this unusual name, but it did seem to fit the girl.

"Like her hair color?", Lenalee asked slowly.

"Yeah...", Allen said quietly, "Please, understand. Arianna has gone through more than a girl her age should have. So, don't be insulted by her cold exterior. Even though she doesn't look it, she is an extremely sensitive and caring girl...She just needs to open up to you guys."

"You can leave it to us, Allen!", Johnny exclaimed, "She'll be part of the family in no time!". All of his fellow scientists agreed enthusiastically.

Allen smiled gratefully, small tears appearing at the edges of his grey eyes. Lenalee smiled at him, and took him by his hand.

"See, Allen, Grey is going to be just fine! Now let's get that arm fixed!", she exclaimed as she gently pulled him out of the room. Allen gave the Science Section one last glance.

"Good luck!", he exclaimed.

"Right back at cha, Allen!", they replied.

They didn't have the heart to tell him what methods of torture that Komui had planned for him.

* * *

Arianna scanned the room, her silver eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Where is Allen?", she asked. Her voice seemed to pierce the air as she glared at them, obviously waiting for an answer. Many of the scientists in the group started to shiver under her gaze, that was so similar to a certain asian exorcist.

Lenalee just continued to smile kindly at her as she helped her up from the couch.

"I think he just left with Kanda for his first mission. They should be back in a few days. I'm sorry that we didn't wake you, Allen said that you needed the rest. Plus my brother wanted to talk to you", she said slowly, expecting for the girl to have a panic attack. But Arianna just stared at her for a moment with a nonchalant expression on her face.

"Phone, please.", she asked after a few awkward moments of silence. Johnny quickly handed her the phone, cringing slightly under her cold gaze. She quickly dialed a number, the phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello, this is Allen. Who is this?"

"Baka.", she said slowly, her tone was so cold that it could have given Kanda's threats a run for their money.

"Now Ari-,..Crap, I mean Grey! Don't be angry!"

Wrong move, Allen.

Arianna froze, before responding scathingly, her eyes flashing,

"You know what, nevermind, go ahead and die." and with that she slammed the phone down with a loud smack, not allowing Allen to say what he was going to say.

They all stared at her, she smiled sweetly up at them. It was kind and sickly sweet, as if she was trying to force herself to smile.

"Where is your brother? You said that he wanted to speak with me.", she asked Lenalee softly. Lenalee could see that her mood had just gotten exponentially worse because of her short conversation with Allen. She was about to respond, when her brother came waltzing in.

"Hello, you must be Grey Walker. I am Komui Lee, the head of the Black Order.", he said animatedly, shaking her hand with great enthusiasm. Arianna cringed, but nodded politely.

"Now, I've heard that you've wanted to become a Finder, here at the Order.", he continued in a more serious tone, "We don't normally accept people under the age of 18, as it is a extremely dangerous job. But we are willing to make an exception."

Arianna held her head high, and gave an air of maturity and strength that did not fit such a girl.

"I'm guessing there is a condition.", she said softly, in a blunt tone as she looked into Komui's eyes with confidence.

"Of course!", he said smiling as his glasses flashed, "In Order for you to prove you have the making's of a typical finder, you will be put through a series of tests."

"When do we begin?", she asked cooly as she took off her dress jacket, revealing a tight black long sleeve shirt and brown pants tucked into knee-high laced boots.

"Right away."

Arianna pulled her hair back into a makeshift pony-tail, and gave Komui a smirk that looked exactly like Kanda's, that is was scary.

Fire seemed to erupt between the two as they glared at each other, like they were challenging one another. An almost evil smile spread across Arianna's face.

"Excellent", she said, confidence laced throughout her voice as she rolled up her sleeves, revealing pale scars that marred her would-be smooth skin.

They all knew that they were all about to witness something amazing.

* * *

**THAT TOOK LOT LONGER THAN I EXPECTED, I'M SORRY FOR THE WAIT, I WAS DISTRACTED BY MY BROTHER'S GAME OF "NUTBALL" XD**

**ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, I HOPE THAT YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	10. Chapter 8: Tests and Missions

**HEYYYOOO!**

**CURRENTLY, I'M ENJOYING BEING HOME ALONE. I HAD DANCE THIS WEEK SO I COULDN'T GO TO NH WITH THE FAM. BUT IT'S ALL GOOD, BECAUSE I NEEDED SOME ME TIME, WHICH CONSISTS OF READING, SLEEPING, AND WRITING THIS OF COURSE.**

**I'M TRYING TO WRITE AS MUCH AS I CAN BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS...BUT ONCE IT DOES, I THINK THAT I WILL UPDATE THIS ONCE A WEEK...SORRY ;_; BUT IT'S JUNIOR YEAR, SO I GOT TO FOCUS...**

**ANYWAYS...**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

The group stared at Allen as the mysterious girl's voice ceased to issue from Timcampy. Kanda couldn't help but smirk as he watched the white-haired teen sport a very troubled expression.

It was really pathetic how a little girl could intimidate someone who was obviously older than her. This was just more proof that the newbie wasn't cut out to be an exorcist. Kanda scoffed as he glared at Allen, who had comical tears running down his face as his golem tried to comfort him.

Frankly, it was like watching a copy of Komui when he was fighting with Lenalee, it was obvious that whoever the girl was, had Allen wrapped around her finger. Kanda scowled as he continued to run beside the group, chasing their oncoming train. He heard the boy scream in shock as they jumped down from the bridge.

Kanda rolled his eyes.

_How pathetic._

He was pretty sure that the girl on the phone was exponentially tougher than the wide-eyed teenager who was clinging desperately to the train beside him.

Komui better suffer for pairing him with such a weakling.

* * *

**_~Back At The Order~_**

"Is this all that I have to do to become a Finder?", Arianna asked, unimpressed, with one delicate eyebrow raised, ignoring the audience that started to form.

Soft mutters spread throughout the crowd as they looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. They were in the training room and Arianna found herself surrounded by "mock" akuma that Komui had created.

Honestly, she thought that the "mock" akuma looked absolutely ridiculous.

Each of them was around the same size of a level one akuma, but were more comical unlike their grotesque counterparts. Though, they may have looked stupid to her because each of them wore a small white beret. She tried not to be distracted by the overall hilarity of it all.

Apparently, all she needed to do was to defeat all 20 of them, and she would pass...

"Not quite.."

...

At least, she thought she did.

She glared at the annoying asian man, he just smiled with amusement as his eyes flashed behind his glasses.

"This is but the first of **_many_** tests!", he exclaimed before bursting into a series of slightly psychotic laughs. A vein in Arianna's forehead twitched as her audience burst out into similar, mocking laughs.

_So they think that she couldn't handle the job, that she was just a weak girl._

Her hands clenched into fists by her sides as she shot them a chilling smile. Many of the people in the first row shivered at her almost murderous aura.

_What fools. She, who had survived training under that red-haired bastard of a general..._

_Weak?! Hah!_

"Of course, Sir, how could I be so **_naïve_**.", she said in a sickly sweet voice, one that would have made Road proud, as she cracked her knuckles, "...I'll get on it, then."

Komui smiled as he motioned for one of the finder's to give her a barrier device. The young man, threw it over to her, which she caught without even looking at it. He smiled as he watched the girl slowly approach his amazing "mock" akuma.

He didn't know what the general was playing at, demanding that this not even 13-year-old girl to become a finder. The other letter from Cross seemed to burn in his breast pocket, it was almost as short as the one regarding Allen,

**_She needs this, that brat has a lot to learn._**

**_P.S. She and my idiot apprentice are a package deal._**

**_~Cross_**

An arm from one of his precious robots flew over, nearly hitting him in the face, successfully jogging him from his thoughts. Komui felt his eyes widen, for a few seconds, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It looked as if she was dancing, dodging each of their attacks with ease as she trapped them. The calculating look on her face never swayed, even when the last one of the "mock" akuma grabbed her by the hair, causing the barrier device to fall out of her hands and break as it lifted her into the air.

The audience gave a universal intake of breath, leaning in slightly, transfixed on the battle in front of them.

Quick as a flash, with no evidence of hesitation, she pulled out a knife that must have been hidden in her boot and sliced off her hair. She dropped down to the ground gracefully as strands of her hair dropped around her.

She looked up at the robot, a look of absolute loathing in her silver eyes. She ran at it head on, pulling another knife from her boot. Jumping up in the air, she landed on it's back and plunged the two knives into it's back, causing it to go haywire.

The people in the audience had to run away as the robot flew haphazardly into it's comrades, resulting in pieces of meal falling over them. Komui let out a soft cough, trying to get the dusk out of his lungs, as he squinted into the cloud.

They all watched with bated breath as the it started to disappear.

The small figure of the Arianna walked out of the dust, looking rather triumphant. Her hair was now slightly above her shoulders, it curled into a grey bob and bounced as she walked towards Komui.

To his amazement, she only had a few shallow scratches on her skin. In his disbelief, he didn't notice that she was carrying something by her side.

She threw it to him as she gave him a smug smile.

"Next.", she said before walking passed him, running her fingers through her hair, getting rid of the loose strands.

Komui looked down at his hands, she had tossed him one of the "mock" akuma's heads, beret included. From the corner of his eye, he could see the looks of disbelief and awe of his comrades. The group of finders were whispering to one another, most of them looked rather impressed as they stared after her.

Komui smiled.

Things were definitely about to get interesting at the Order.

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

After landing not so gracefully on the train, the odd trio were shown to their first class compartment by a very unsettled attendent.

Allen looked around their room with wide eyes, impressed with their treatment. Kanda just sat across from him, his arms crossed with scowl on his face. Allen turned his attention to his report, frowning after a few minutes of reading,

"According to the dossier, we're heading to the ancient city of Mater. I think I remember reading about this place once, it's been in ruins for decades. Our target sounds interesting, the ghost of Mater.", Allen said as he looked up from his pamphlet, "I'm confused, how in the world could a ghost have anything to do with innocence?". Kanda just let out a "Hmph.", not meeting his eye.

Allen stood up, glaring at Kanda,

"Hey! Is that attitude necessary?!", he exclaimed as a vein started to twitch in his forehead. Kanda remained nonchalant as he shot Allen a sideways glance,

"Take a guess."

"You know, you're a jerk!". Suddenly, a voice came from outside of the door, it was the finder that had come with them.

"Unexplained phenomenon are common occurences where innocence exists."

Allen pressed his ear against the door, "Really?", he asked as Timcampy flew around his head.

"Innocence has altered it's own biology, of course, it doesn't happen over night. Most testaments place the timeline from Noah's flood and the present.", the finder said.

He paused for a few seconds before continuing, "This may be due to the crystal's mysterious power trying to communicate with us, or for many other unknown reasons. but it seems that innocence always finds it's way into human hands. the one thing that we still can't figure out is why innocence creates these strange phenomenons."

Allen's brow furrowed in confusion as he thought,

"So, you're saying that the existence of a ghost in Mater could be caused by innocence?", he asked slowly.

"Yes. because where mystery is found, innocence is nearby. That's why the Order enlists finders like myself to conduct thorough investigations of these instances."

"Like the ghost of Mater?"

"Yes, precisely."

Allen took this moment to open the door, wanting to meet the informative finder. He gave him a smile as he held out his hand, "Hi, my name is Allen Walker."

The finder stood up, adjusting his pack before taking Allen's hand, "It's certainly my pleasure, Master Walker. I am Toma, your finder for this mission.". Allen looked over his shoulder and noticed a pile of cards arranged in multiple piles. He bent down, taking a joker in his hand, "Have you been doing this since we've been on the train?".

"It's a hobby of mine.", Toma replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. Allen looked up at him, smiling kindly as he fingered the cards, "It looks interesting.". Toma sat beside him, pausing for a few seconds before inquiring, "Master Walker, tell me, are you at all familiar with the Ghost of Mater?".

"I'm not."

Toma looked up, as if seeing something in the distance. After a few minutes he continued, "It's fascinating, the story goes back from the days the city went into ruin. The ghost was originally an inhabitant of the city before it met it's demise. As people visited the city, the ghost would draw them towards his being and attempt to relieve his loneliness.".

"I hear stories about disappearances all the time.", Allen said, his grey eyes darkened with sadness as he remembered from when he was training as an exorcist.

"We finders investigate stories like this. Even if it's only a vague rumor, and most of the time they are. But until we determine it's validity and whether or not innocence is directly involved, we will stay up to months at a time investigating these claims...".

Allen zoned out, Arianna's face appearing in his mind.

All this time, he knew that she was going to become a finder, but he never really knew what that meant, all he knew was that she was suppose to help him in some way. But after hearing Toma explain his job, Allen couldn't help but wonder if that meant that she was going to be separated from him.

It made him uneasy...

"...As I said, most do turn out to be fake stories or local legends gone array. But even when the rumors are true, it is very rare that innocence is directly involved in some way. However, if there is even the slightest possibility that innocence is involved...it immediately becomes a top priority for the finders to inform the Order...", Toma continued, shaking Allen from his thoughts.

Suddenly, Kanda threw the door open, stepping out with one hand on his innocence, "...And then, exorcists show up to finish the job.", he finished in a blunt tone. He glared down on both of them before continuing,

"Be ready to move in 5..."

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

"..."

Arianna stared in silence as she looked up at the tower of papers in front of her. It looked as if she were to touch it, it was going to crush her. The small audience that she had attracted during the first test seemed to grow, they surrounded her with anticipation. She slowly turned to Komui, her eyes like ice. He just smiled at her.

"Complete the written test in an hour.", he said bluntly, watching with amusement as her eye twitched with annoyance. After a few minutes of silence, she let out a deep sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She pointed at the crowd,

"Can they leave? I want to concentrate.", she said with a slightly strained voice.

"But this will test how well you can handle distractions!", Komui responded happily, the crowd nodded with agreement as many of them snickered. Arianna took a deep breath, undoubtedly trying to restrain herself from pummeling the purple-haired man in front of her...

He was just a **_child._**

She let out another sigh before sitting herself down in front of the tower of papers. She blocked out the mutters that came from the crowd as she started. After quickly separating the tower into multiple piles, she pulled out page one,

**_Please answer all the questions after reading them carefully._**

Right away Arianna could tell that something was fishy. Many people in the group were watching her with cruel amusement, and Komui looked rather proud of himself. She decided that she should read all the questions before answering them, just to be sure.

And with that, she quickly began to skim all the questions, she felt triumphant as many of the faces in the audience faltered, including Komui's. After 45 minutes of industrious reading, she reached the last page,

**_Please disregard the first step on page one and sign your name on the back of this page to complete the test._**

Arianna looked back at her audience, shooting them an evil grin as she did what the last problem told her to do.

She signed the page with an enthusiastically, savoring her victory as she left her name in a very delicate scrawl fit for a noble. Cracking her back as she got up, she walked to Komui throwing him the paper. Then she blatantly walked passed him, pushing through the flabbergasted crowd.

"Next."

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!", Arianna exclaimed at a rather triumphant Komui, who crossed his arms in victory.

Now, Arianna was pretty adequate in keeping her temper, but this was the last straw. She was pretty sure that this test was not even necessary, and they were just using her for entertainment. Many of the people in the front row backed away, as she seethed with fury.

"Come on, teamwork is essential. You must be able to work with your comrades without a problem.", he said he gave her an evil smirk, "Now, **_charm_** them!". The vein in her forehead was threatening to burst.

_Who did he think she was?! She was not some common whore her master chased around the red-light district!_

Nether the less, she took a deep breath. This was the last test, Komui had assured her, but to her, it was almost the final blow.

Almost.

She scanned the group surrounding her, finally she zoned in on the youngest one she could find. He was built much like Allen, lean and not overly muscular, but he was taller. He had messy brown hair that was tied casually at the nape of his neck in a small make shift ponytail.

She slowly approached him, her face cast in shadows, his green eye's widened in shock. He turned to his teammates, but they seemed to have vanished. Suddenly, she looked up at him, her silver eyes sparkling and her lips pressed into a small pout.

The finder didn't even have time to react, when she jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a soft hug. She gave him a vibrant smile, his face went red.

She was cute!

"Hi! Call me Grey, I look forward to work with you!", she happily exclaimed, as she gazed up at him through her eyelashes.

Everyone froze at her 180 change in her personality. They stared at her in a shocked silence, she just continued to give them an innocent smile that seemed to sparkle. She was still hugging the brown-haired finder, who had seemed to be in a daze.

Suddenly, she was pulled off of the Finder and found herself being plastered against the white coat of a giddy Komui. Her eyes widened in shock as he swung her around, he hugged her so tightly she thought she was going to suffocate.

What a horrible way to die.

"YOU PASS! YOU PASS! AWWWW, YOU'RE ALMOST AS CUTE AS MY PRECIOUS LENALEE! YOU CAN BE MY LITTLE SISTER, I'M SURE LENALEE WOULD LOVE YOU!", he shouted with joy.

Arianna was about to pass out from the combination of suffocation and exhaustion, when the green-haired exorcist stepped forward. She lifted her leg up and brought it down sharply onto his head, causing him to release her, much to her relief.

"That's enough brother!", she exclaimed. She then bent down and offered Arianna a hand as she smiled kindly at her, "Sorry about that, my brother gets carried away sometimes."

Arianna just stared at her for a few seconds before taking her hand hesitantly. Lenalee smiled at this small act of acceptance as she continued,

"Welcome to the Black Order!"

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

"Toma, how's it looking?", Kanda asked as they ran. The imposing ruins of Mater could be seen in the distance. He figured that it's buildings would have been beautiful if it was still occupied. Unfortunatly, the location was shit, which was why it was abandoned in the first place.

Toma had the radio phone pressed to his ear, "I can't get through!", he exclaimed, his beady eyes shining with concern.

"Then let's hurry!"

Allen's left eye began to glow, turning it into it's typical black and red target. Toma looked at him with surprised curiousity, "Can you see the akuma?!", he asked. Allen nodded as he focused on the city, seeing the blips of multiple souls of the akuma, "I can, my left eye is equipped with a sensor that can spot akuma and more specifically, the souls trapped inside them.".

Kanda scoffed as he sent Allen a glare, "A cursed eye. You should have told us from the start Moyashi. Before we arrive, let's get things straight. I'm not nearly the idealist you are, emotions have no place on the battlefield.".

He paused for a few seconds, intensifying his gaze, "...If you get yourself hurt, hinder the mission and put the rest of us in danger, I'll leave you for dead. In other words, we're not partners. So don't expect me to help.", he said scathingly with cold eyes.

"Pleasant as always.", Allen replied bluntly, still focused on the tormented souls.

"Right."

* * *

"The finder unit should have already risen the barriers. They can survive a few days in there at least.", Kanda said as they reached the edge of the city. They stopped as they landed on a roof of one of the buildings, allowing them to view the city from overhead.

"I can see the barrier, it's over there!", Toma exclaimed as he pointed towards the middle of the city. They could vaguely make out the figures inside.

"That must be the ghost of Mater.", Kanda stated bluntly, stepping forward. Allen looked around in concern and fear, "What?! Then where are the finders?!", he exclaimed.

"It looks like they activated the barriers in order to protect the ghost of Mater, instead of saving themselves. They must be waiting for the exorcists...", Toma replied sadly.

"Oh no..."

Kanda just continued glare at the barrier with a blank face, "Then they did their job, Toma.". Toma nodded sadly, "Agreed.".

Suddenly, a series of explosions came from the side of them, a few blocks away. Allen turned around sharply, his eyes sparkling with hope, "There's a light, they're alive!", he exclaimed. Without a moment of hesitation, he ran towards the explosions.

"Master Walker!"

* * *

Kanda landed beside the barrier, he knelt beside the dying finder that was propped against a wall, "Finder, tell me the release code for the barrier.", he said bluntly. The finder looked up at him with hope, he let out a few pained gasps before he replied, "Have you come to save us, exorcist?".

Kanda's face was cast in shadows, "Just tell me the code, you don't want your death to be for nothing now, do you?". The finder let out a few more labored gasps before answering, "Fine...the code is 'Have Hope'. You must protect the innocence...". The moment the words left his mouth, the finder slumped over, dead.

Kanda got up, brushing the dust from his coat. He made his way to the barrier, punching in the code in silence. The two figures stared at him, the blonde haired girl tightened her grip on the cloaked man, "Have you come to save us exorcist?", she asked.

Kanda just held out his hand to the cloaked man,

"You're safe, ghost of Mater."

* * *

Meanwhile, Allen struggled to fight the last level one akuma. His grey eyes shone with anger as he pushed himself out of what used to be a wall, "He's too strong!", he said through his teeth.

Suddenly, the akuma issued a purple aura, it became a swirling mass of metal and shadows, "It's changing! What's happening the soul trapped inside is being distorted!". It seemed to harden into a kind of shell. Allen watched with disbelief as if burst open, a grotesque clown flying from it a few seconds later.

"**_I Am An AkUmA!_**", it exclaimed with a creepy mechanical voice, "**_My NeW FoRm Is BoRn FrOm ThE DaRkEsT Of MaTtEr. ThAnK YoU FoR AlL YoUr HeLp, ExOrCiSt_**!"

"**_It ApPeArS ThAt I'm AlL GrOwN Up!_**". Allen's eyes widened in surprise, "How is that possible? The akuma evolved!", he exclaimed.

The akuma gave him a twisted smile before replying, "**_ArEn'T YoU ClEvEr_**!". Kanda and Toma landed beside him. Allen looked up at them, "Kanda...". Kanda glared at him, sneering, "I'm not here to help you, acting on your emotions is what got you into this mess in the first place. You'll have to take care of it your self.".

Allen nodded as he returned Kanda's cold gaze, "Fine then. As long as you have the innocence there's no need for me to worry. I'll catch up with you two later after I destroy this akuma!", he said briskly before launching himself at the crazed akuma.

"**_YoU WiLl DiE, NoT Me!_**", it laughed, twirling around to meet him.

Kanda blankly watched Allen confront the akuma, "Toma, Keep an eye on him.", he said before turning to walk away. Toma looked up at him, "On Master Walker?", he asked.

"No, on that akuma.", he responded bluntly. Toma gave him a small bow as he watched him walk away,

"Yes sir."

* * *

**_~With Arianna~ _**

Arianna let out a tired sigh as she collapsed onto her new bed, not bothering to change her clothes. She felt as if she was going to die...

Ok, that was exaggerating it.

But enduring those stupid tests really drained her energy, it didn't help that Lenalee insisted on giving her a full tour too. So far she had met many people from the Order.

There was Johnny, the curly-haired scientist who excitedly exclaimed that he was going to make her uniform and his friend Tap. There was Reever, who she learned was the section leader of the Order.

She could vaguely remember the finder who she had hugged in the last test introduce himself as Caleb. She also remembered meeting the enthusiastic cook, who all but forced her to eat, which she had to admit was delicious. There was also a number of finders that she had met, but didn't remember their names.

She rolled onto her back, staring absent-mindedly at the ceiling. Allen's face floated into her mind, probing it insistently. She frowned, she had been too busy that she wasn't able to think about him until now.

Oh no, he's such an idiot, he'd probably get himself killed!

Maybe she should call him. She got up, about to pick up the phone on her bedside table, but paused. She frowned.

Why did she always care about him? Her top priority was to get back to her family as soon as she can.

She laid back down on her bed, closing her eyes in thought, but couldn't fight oncoming sleep as she drifted off.

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

The akuma turned to the barrier, tapping it's mouth in thought, "**_I SeE ThAt GhOsT HaS MaDe It'S EsCaPe. WeLl, ThAt's FiNe, I'lL MaKe PlEnTy Of TiMe To DeAl WiTh HiM LaTeR._**", it said slowly before continuing with a sick, twisted smile, "...**_BuT FiRsT, I GeT To TaKe YoUr LiFe._**".

Allen glared at it, his left eye glowing bright red as he raised his left arm, "I wouldn't be so sure about that!", he exclaimed as he launched himself at it. The akuma intertwined it's fingers with Allen's innocence, preventing it from running through him.

It let out an evil cackle as it threw Allen roughly, causing him to crash through multiple buildings. It watched in amusement before looking down at it's hand, which was burned from being in contact with Allen's left hand.

It paused for a few minutes before letting a twisted smile form on it's face. It flew down to find Allen through the wreckage.

Allen moaned as he pulled himself out of the remnents of the wall the akuma flung him into, as he opened his eyes, he saw the akuma land in front of him. He launched himself at it, running ti through with his left hand.

But something was wrong, he couldn't see a soul. When he took a closer look, he saw that it was like a hollow shell of some sort.

wait, that's not an akuma, it's a fake!

Suddenly, he felt something slam into his side. He clutched at his bleeding side as he saw his assailant with wide eyes.

"**_Im RiGhT BeHiNd YoU!_**"

He could recongized it's voice, but was amazed to see that it came from his mouth. He watched his doppleganger give him a almost seductive look as it dug its fingers deeper into his side.

_What the?! There's two of me!"_

Arianna might just get her wish...

* * *

**DONNNNNEEEE!**

**I HAVE TO SAY, IT WAS FUN WRITING THE "TESTS". I THINK THAT MY NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FOCUSED ON ARI, CUZ IT'S SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE FOR HER...PLUS I'M TAKING A BREAK FROM COPYING THE LINES FROM EPISODES. XD**

**I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS AND PLEASE REVIEW, IT KEEPS ME GOING :)**

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMLiNg~**


	11. Chapter 9: Girl Time

**HEY GUYS, WHAT'S UP?**

**IM BACK WITH THE ARIANNA FOCUSED CHAPTER, COMPLETE WITH A HEALTHY DOSAGE OF ARIANNA TSUNDERE-NESS. XD**

**I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO: ****myangelicladyofdarkness, ****Hanashi o suru ****and ****Luffy1Ace1Sabo FOR BEING MY TOP 3 REVIEWERS! THANKS GUYS, YOU ROCK! :)**

**HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, SORRY NO MOYASHI INCLUDED :(**

**a: Whyyyyyyyyyy?!**

**Me: OH STOP IT, IT'S ARIANNA'S TIME TO SHINE.**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

_**~At The Order~**_

Arianna woke up to insistent knocking, she moaned and turned over, pulling her sheets even closer to herself. She remained silent, hoping That whoever was at the door would just go away.

But the knocking continued, Arianna's eyes flew open as she roughly threw her sheets off her before storming to door. She was fully ready to slug whoever it was in the face, but when she opened the door, she was greeted by Lenalee's vibrant smile.

The green-haired exorcist seemed unfazed, even when Arianna shot her an almost murderous glare.

"What?", Arianna said through her teeth, brushing back a few loose curls from her face. Lenalee just continued to give her a wide smile. Arianna was beginning to suspect that there was something seriously wrong with her, nobody could smile that much.

"I was just talking with my brother, and he's agreed that I'd take you out to town with me!", she said, clapping her hands together in excitement. Arianna stared blankly at her, before shutting the door in her face with a loud slam.

"Come on, Grey, we need to get you some more clothes.", she whined, ",and Johnny needs more material to make your uniform!". Arianna rolled her eyes before she let out a deep sigh as she leaned against the wall.

"What's wrong with my clothes now? And can't you do this yourself?", she asked, annoyed. There was a pregnant pause before Lenalee replied, "Ehh...well, there was a mishap in the science section...".

Arianna perked up, an easy feeling sitting in her stomach, she knew that nothing good would come from the rest of that sentence. There was another pause before she heard Lenalee continue sheepishly,

"...and your suitcase was destroyed.".

It took a few seconds to comprehend what she had just heard. Arianna groaned, sliding against the wall until she sat on the floor. She laid her head in her hands, tying to alieve the headache that was starting to form.

"I'm really, really, sorry Grey...I promise we'll make it up to you.", Lenalee continued, ", I'm sure it'll be fun!".

Arianna sighed as she slowly got up, she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. But they was all she had at the moment thanks to whatever stupid experiment the scientists subjected her suitcase to. It looks like she didn't have any other choice...

She quickly brushed out her hair, taming the afro she got from sleeping and pinned her bangs back. Her face reflected back at her, her skin was almost sickly looking and there were bags underneath her eyes.

It was as if the energy was sucked right out of her since arriving at the Order.

"Grey?", she heard Lenalee ask tentatively from the other side of the door. Arianna stormed to the door, opening it roughly much to Lenalee's surprise. "Let's get this over with.", she stated bluntly before storming passed her.

Lenalee smiled kindly after her as she watched her walk off, she was so much like Kanda.

Lenalee wondered how they would they react to meeting each other, she giggled at that thought. There was no doubt that it would be as interesting as watching Allen and him interacting for the first time.

Arianna turned to look back at Lenalee, she shot her a slightly annoyed look, obviously wondering why she wasn't following her. Lenalee gave her another warm smile and hurried to catch up, "Let's get breakfast first, then we'll head off. We can get lunch in town.".

Arianna gave a small "hmph." as she turned to head towards the dining hall, her lips turned down in a small pout, which was absolutely adorable in Lenalee's eyes. She could see why Allen was so inclined to make her happy.

Didn't he say that she loved books?, Lenalee thought, remembering some of the details from Allen's rant.

She decided that she should bring her to the bookstore in town. Although, she couldn't wait to show her the Order's library since Arianna stormed into her room before she got the chance.

But first...

Breakfast!

* * *

"Come on, honey, I can make anything ya want!", Jerry pleaded, becoming desperate to feed this borderline malnourished girl. Arianna just glared at him stubbornly, "Water.", she said bluntly.

Lenalee sweat dropped. Allen did warn them that she was a picky eater, but this was just ridiculous! Jerry had argued with her for over 30 minutes now...

"That's not good for ya health! breakfast is the most important meal of the day!", Jerry exclaimed before letting out a dramatic sigh, "Why can't you be more like your brother, Allen~kun?".

Arianna glared at him, intensifying her gaze before replying icily, "First of all, he's not my brother.". She paused, everyone cringed away from her increasingly dark aura, "Second of all, who would want to be an idiot with an insatiable appetite?!".

Lenalee placed a hand on her shoulder, Arianna turned to look up at her, "Grey, that's rude, and you're holding up the line.". She bent down to whisper in her ear, "...besides, you can just take it, you don't have to eat it!".

Arianna let out a soft grumble before turning back to Jerry, "Fine. Just give me something.", she said through her teeth. Everyone behind them rejoiced, they would finally be able to get their food!

Jerry quickly scurried into the kitchen, and a few minutes later came back with rice porridge with meat and vegetables. Arianna took it quickly and sat down at the farthest table. Lenalee sat down across from her.

"You didn't really mean what you said about Allen, did you?", Lenalee asked, giving Arianna an almost chastising look. Arianna scoffed and grudgingly dug into her food. She paused for a second, glaring at her bowl, then continued to eat.

Lenalee smiled at this, she was adorable.

"Of course I did. Who would want to eat like him. Not only is it sick, but his appetite is expensive.", she replied after eating a few more spoonsful of her porridge. Lenalee sweat-dropped, she had to agree with that.

"No. I meant, him not being your brother.".

Arianna paused, shooting her another glare. Lenalee made a mental note that this had to be a signature look for her. Arianna looked away, not meeting her eye before responding, "Technically, he's not. The fool 'adopted' me into his family.".

Lenalee frowned, "So, you don't think Allen as your family?". Arianna rolled her eyes as she continued to eat, "So what if I don't? Who would want that reckless idiot as a brother?!".

To most, this would have sounded heartless. But for Lenalee, who was used to this type of behavior because of a certain japanese exorcist, she could hear uncertainty in the young girl's voice.

Suddenly, they were joined by the same finder that Arianna had hugged in the last 'test'. He smiled shyly as he sat next to Lenalee, who looked up at him with curiosity.

"Uhh...hi, I'm sorry, but all the other tables were full.", he said as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Arianna immediately called bullshit, but nether the less, continued to eat her breakfast in silence.

Lenalee gave him her signature vibrant smile, "It's no problem, Caleb. We have no problem with you sitting with us.". Arianna snorted, Lenalee sent her a scolding look and kicked her from underneath the table.

Caleb, who could sense the awkwardness, shifted in his seat anxiously, "It's very nice to meet you, Grey. I have to say, I've never seen anyone pass those tests as easily as you!", he said quickly, giving Arianna a slight bow.

She stared at him, as if evaluating whether to believe him or not. Lenalee smiled encouragingly at her, which Arianna tried to ignore. Caleb looked up at her shyly as he continued to play with his fingers. After a few awkward minutes of silence, she responded, "Thank you?".

"What was even more impressive was the way that you handled the second test, I think you set a new record!", he continued excitedly, gaining more confidence at Arianna's display of minor acceptance.

Arianna looked slightly intrigued, "Really?", she asked tilting her head to the side slightly. Caleb blushed and replied quickly, "Ye-yeah...I barely finished that test. Most finders actually try to complete that it.",

he laughed nervously before continuing, "I remember how frustrated I was when I realized that it was a trick, I barely had enough time to sign my name!".

Suddenly, Lenalee gasped. The pair turned to look at her, curiosity in their eyes.

"Grey, we've got to go!", she exclaimed as she hurriedly cleaned up her dish, "The train leaves in 10 minutes, and if we miss this one we'll have to wait another hour before the next one comes!".

Arianna's eyes widened before she hurriedly got up, she sent Caleb a slight nod before running after Lenalee to the docks. Caleb watched the two girls run out of the dining hall with slightly glazed eyes.

Little did he know, that was one of the most civil conversations Arianna has ever been with a stranger.

* * *

~On The Train~

Lenalee let out small giggles as she and Arianna sat in their seats, they had just made it on to the train without a minute to spare. Arianna closed her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing, ignoring the stares from the passengers.

She was used to the staring, it wasn't as if she and Allen were considered normal. With his white hair and her grey hair, they were the definition of strange. But that didn't mean that she didn't think that it wasn't annoying.

She stared absent-mindedly out the window, watching the scenery blur passed them. Lenalee gave her a soft smile as she turned to give the train conductor their tickets. Arianna was starting to become sleepy because of the train's movement, but Lenalee brought her out of her daze,

"Hey Grey, why did you cut your hair?", she asked as she reached out to touch one of her now short curls. Arianna pulled away from her slightly, as she responded bluntly, "To get away from those mock akuma...plus it's easier short.".

"But it was so pretty long.", Lenalee said with a slightly sad voice. Arianna rolled her eyes, "I don't really care about that.", she said, but Lenalee could hear her voice falter slightly.

Lenalee smiled encouragingly at her, which Arianna ignored, "Well, I guess hair grows back...", she said softly. Arianna let out a soft grunt as she continued to stare out of the window.

"Anyway's, we'll find you some cute clothes in town!", she exclaimed exciting, Arianna sighed at this,

"Just as long as it's practical..."

* * *

"This is **_not_** practical.", Arianna grumbled as Lenalee forced her to model yet another dress. Lenalee ignored her glares as she squealed, "But your so **_cute_**!".

Arianna sighed, she honestly had no idea why she was letting Lenalee put her through this new method of torture. It was like she wasn't able to say no to her, it had to be some type of evil power!

The store keeper was no help either as she nodded excitedly in agreement. The old woman kept holding out new dresses to Lenalee, who was obviously a frequent customer. They talked among themselves excitedly,

_"I think blue would look best on her."_

_"No, dear, I think a pale pink!"_

_"Ohhh, that would be so pretty!"_

Arianna blocked out their mindless chatter as she looked at her self in the mirror. She looked absolutely ridiculous, to her, at least.

She was wearing a pale green dress with long sleeves, it went down to her knees and was rimmed with lace that was a darker shade of green.

Although she had to admit that the material was extremely comfortable, she couldn't help but think of boogers when she saw the color.

She quickly slipped it over her head and threw it into the ever-growing pile of discarded dresses. Lenalee frowned at her, "Come on Grey, a girl has to look pretty! You can't neglect your looks all the time!", she exclaimed as she wagged a finger at her.

Arianna rolled her eyes and made her way to the boys section and picked out multiple pairs of pants, vests, and shirts. Much to Lenalee's dismay, she felt exponentially more comfortable in the clothes she picked.

After a heated and exceptionally long debate, they finally decided that Arianna could get the clothes she wanted if she got at least two dresses, one casual, and one formal.

Lenalee had explained that the Order had formal balls every once in a while, mostly at Christmas time, so Arianna couldn't get out of that one. As for the casual one, Arianna just wanted to get Lenalee to stop pestering her.

Arianna quickly picked one of the less frilly dresses for her casual choice. It was a dark blue dress that went down to her knees, it had a row of black buttons that lined her back and a simple neckline. I

t was short-sleeved, so the pale scars on her arms weren't covered, not that she minded, they were light and not as deep as the others she had else where.

Although, she had found her casual dress fairly easily, she and Lenalee were having a lot of trouble finding the "perfect" formal dress.

The major problem that they seemed to be having was the fact that Arianna detested frilly, which unfortunately, was the style for young girls her age.

Arianna was about to collapse from exhaustion, when a something silver caught her eye. She walked up to the rack and pulled it out.

The silver was the petticoat of a formal dress. It was unusual, the fabric was a light silk, but it was dyed in such a way that it was if shadows were swirling in its skirt at the slightest movement.

The bodice was an enchanting shade of silver, with intricate embroidery along its edge and down its seams.

What intrigued Arianna the most was that it's sleeves, which were a dark sheer material with the same silver embroidery and had a small loop where you were supposed to attach to your middle finger for support.

"Ooooohhh, that looks interesting. You have to try it on!", Lenalee exclaimed as she peered over Arianna's shoulder. The store keeper helped Arianna lace up the back of the dress.

Despite being used to the slight corset, Arianna really liked this one. But she wasn't going to give Lenalee the satisfaction. Unfortunately, Lenalee, who has an adequate tsundere radar, could tell that she was happy.

Arianna ignored Lenalee's smug expression as she turned to the store keeper, who smiled encouragingly to her,

"This will do. We'll take it."

The store keeper gave her a small bow and gathered the clothes that they had picked, sneaking in a few more dresses, courtesy of Lenalee.

Arianna couldn't help but sneak another look in the mirror, she tried to keep her excitement to herself. Lenalee smiled kindly at her as she helped her unlaced the back of her dress.

"You will definitely stand out at the ball!", she said excitedly as she helped Arianna out of the dress, careful not to damage it in any way.

"hmph."

Lenalee took her hand as she led her out of the store, the bag of clothes clutched in the other. Arianna's eyes widened at the sudden contact and was too surprised to pull away.

"Come on! I have a surprise for you!", she said as she let out a tinkling laugh, her amethyst eyes sparkling with mischief.

Arianna hoped that it had nothing to do with clothes as she unconsciously tightened her grasp on Lenalee's hand. This didn't go unnoticed by Lenalee, who smiled as she continued to pull Arianna through the busy streets of the town.

So far, her plan was turning out well...

* * *

**_~Meanwhile~_**

"Come on, they'll be back in a few hours!", a frantic Reever exclaimed as he watched Johnny put up a banner,

"**_Welcome, Grey, the youngest finder in the history of the Order!_**" was printed on its surface with large red letters. Everyone was scurrying around with various decorations in their arms.

"Don't worry, Reever, everything will be ready by the time they come back.", Johnny replied with a smile.

"Yeah!", Tap continued with a grin as he passed with balloons in his hands, "Lenalee's got it covered."

Komui smiled as he thought of his precious little sister playing with Arianna, he blushed at that prospect. He laughed as he pushed his glasses.

"No worries, Sir Komulin will help us finish in no time!"

**_Noooooooooo!_**

* * *

_**~Back With The Girls~**_

Lenalee watched with an amused smile as Arianna stared with wide eyes at the bookshelves of the store. They were in the very large book store that was in the center of town, and Arianna felt as if she was in heaven.

She almost forgot that Lenalee was with her until she felt her place a hand on her shoulder.

"Pick out anything that you want.", she said with a smile. Arianna looked at her with wide eyes, for the first time that she had known her, Lenalee got to see a glimpse of the child that Arianna really was.

She could see why Allen warned her in the first place, Arianna really was a sensitive little girl who closed herself to the world.

"Really?", Arianna asked in a soft voice. Allen did bring her books once in a while, but they were scarce because of the lack of money they had. Although that made her less intolerant of his presence, she was never able to pick out anything she wanted.

Lenalee gave her a soft nod. Arianna immediately turned her attention to the rows upon rows of books that laid before her. Lenalee watched as the Arianna started to have a small conversation with the store owner, debating rather passionately about what she should pick.

Allen was right...

Books were the way to go for Arianna.

After 45 minutes, Arianna came back over to her with a pile of books in her arms, her silver eyes seemed to light up slightly. Lenalee immediately paid for the books, the store keeper handed her a leather bound journal, saying that it was on the house.

Arianna took it, giving a soft "thank you", the sharpness in her voice seemed to soften since they had gone out. She and Lenalee walked in silence as they headed to the train station.

To Arianna's amazement, the sun was already setting, time had gone by faster than she thought it had.

Lenalee gave her another smile, a knowing look in her eyes,

"Come on, let's get dinner at the Order."

Never in a million years, Arianna would have thought that she would feel a twinge of safety with anybody outside of her real family. But being with people like Allen and Lenalee, her hard resolve was shaking...

And that scared her.

* * *

When they arrived at the Order, they were met with chaos. Finders and Scientists alike were scurrying around, trying to clean up the mess that Komui's robot had created. They were so frantic that they didn't notice that the two girls had arrived.

Lenalee cleared her throat, glaring at her brother while Arianna watched in mild amusement at their struggle. They turned to them, finally noticing their appearance.

"Crap!"

"Oh no..."

"This ain't good..."

Universal curses rang throughout the crowd as Lenalee chastised her brother, who cowered under her wrath. Arianna just stepped forward, looking up at the slightly torn banner that hung loosely above her. Reever and the science team looked rather sheepish and ashamed of themselves.

"Sorry Grey..."

"We wanted to throw you a welcoming party."

"It's all Cheif's fault.

They said while sending Komui a series of condescending glares. Johnny stepped forward and handed her a small package, "Here's your new uniform!", he said with a wink.

Arianna was still shocked, even more so when she realized that Lenalee had tricked her. Lenalee sent her a mischievous smile as she continued to berate her brother.

**_Welcome to the Order, Grey!_**

Arianna's eyes widened as her mouth hung open in surprise. She took in all the encouraging smiles around her, she was going to have to be careful...

Or she was going to lose sight on her real goal.

* * *

**OMG I LOVE ARI SO MUCH IT HURTS XD. SHE'S MY LITTLE TSUNDERE! OH GOD, I SOUND LIKE A DOTING MOTHER!...**

**WAIT, TECHNICALLY, AREN'T I?...**

**AH WELL, HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE GIRL TIME :3**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**WTYL**

**~OmGiStHaTiDuMpLiNg~**


	12. author's note

**HEY GUYS, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE AUTHORS NOTE.**

**DON'T WORRY I'M WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER! I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU GUYS THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A SIDE SERIES FOR THIS FANFIC. **

**IT IS CALLED NOAH PLUS HUMAN EQUALS...FAMILY? AND IT IS ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON ARIANNA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HER FAMILY BEFORE SHE GETS "KIDNAPED"...AND MAYBE LATER ON IN THE TIMELINE.**

**BASICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE A COLLECTION OF NOAH FAMILY MOMENTS XD, SO BE PREPARED FOR FUN TIMES :) AND HEART WRENCHING MOMENTS :3**

**THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING MY FANFIC! I'M REALLY HAPPY, AND I HOPE THAT YOU AREN'T TOO PISSED THAT THIS IS AN AUTHOR'S NOTE T_T'.**

**IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, MAYBE I'LL WRITE ANOTHER SERIES, BUT FOCUSING ON HER TIME WITH ALLEN AND CROSS XD (OH GOD, CROSS) **

**I'LL TRY TO GET THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE CHILD WHO KNEW NOTHING OUT AS SOON AS I CAN, BUT I GOT TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK. ALTHOUGH I LOVE ALLEN, I NEED A HEALTHY DOSE OF NOAH, SO DON'T WORRY. **

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	13. Chapter 10: Adjusting

**HEY GUYS, SORRY ABOUT THE AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFOREHAND, I JUST WANTED TO GET THE NEWS OUT!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER, COMPLETE WITH MORE CALEB/ARI MOMENTS. (HE'S TURNING OUT TO BE LIKE BAK WITH LENALEE XD. EXCEPT SLIGHTLY LESS CREEPY...SLIGHTLY).**

**MAYBE ONE CHAPTER WILL BE ON HIS BACKSTORY. THAT BE INTERESTING TO WRITE, CUZ I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT OF ONE YET, I JUST STUCK HIM IN HERE AS A RANDOM FILLER CHARACTER XD.**

**AH WELL...**

**ENJOY! :)**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_~With Kanda~ _**

"You sleeping? You better keep a close eye on that thing.", Kanda said rather harshly as he approached Allen, who sat on the steps in an almost fetal position while Timcampy hovered over his head. As he suspected, the white-haired boy was still depressed over their mission.

They had defeated the transforming level two, but had lost the real Lala as a consequence. To Kanda, who strived to complete his complete mission without haste and as quickly as possible, Allen was an annoying enigma.

The teen insisted on staying until the old man died, it's been almost three days. Honestly, Kanda didn't know why he agreed to stay for so long...

Was it because he didn't want to put up with the boy's depressing nagging on morals the way back to the Order?

It took a little while before Allen responded , "Yeah...are you OK?", he said in a quiet voice, jogging Kanda from his thoughts. He didn't even look up and kept his head hidden in his arms.

Kanda supressed the urge to roll his eyes, "I heal quicker than most people.", he responded bluntly. Allen looked up at him, his silver eyes shone with innocent concern, "Really?...you looked pretty bad.", he said warily.

Kanda avoided his gaze and sat next to him, "Shut up...", he paused as he listened to Lala's lullaby echo throughout the city before continuing, "I was able to make contact with the Order a while ago and Komui has given us instructions, I'm heading to my next assignment from here. It's your job to bring the innocence to Headquarters.".

Allen looked down at his feet, "I've got it...", he said, exhaustion clear in his voice. Kanda looked towards the town as he said bluntly, "If it's too hard, just go stop her, it's not even really Lala anymore...". A sad smile spread across Allen's face, "You're right, but it's the promise they had.", he said with a sigh. He looked up at the night sky, "...Gozul has to be the one to stop her song.", he said wholeheartedly.

Kanda let out a soft "che" before continuing in his typical emotionless drawl, "You're too soft, you know that.". He paused for a second, his onyx eyes hardening, "...an exorcist is simply a destroyer, we'll never be anyone's savior.". Allen's eyes shined with hope and thought at this, "I don't think I agree...we can be both.".

Suddenly, they were met with an errie silence. They looked up at the town, wind blowing their hair back, Lala's ophirial lullaby wasn't present in it's caress...

_Silence_

_It was the third night, Gozul died, and Lala stopped._

Allen was the first to arrive in the cavern. Kanda and Toma watched from the doorway as Allen held Lala in his arms, his slim figure shaking and his face obscured by shadows. "Hey, what's wrong?", he asked. Allen raise an arm up to his face, obviously to wipe away his tears, he took a few shaky breaths before answering in a broken voice,

"Kanda, we're not just destroyers, at the same time, we can be saviors.".

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

The train seemed to shake as the storm thundered outside, it's rain echoing off of it with an almost calming quality to it. Allen sat silently in his private compartment, his brow was furrowed in deep thought as he stared at the innocence in his hands...

At what used to be Lala's heart.

Toma opened the door and entered, breaking Allen's train of thought. He looked up at him questioningly. "The conductor was very appologetic, it looks like the train is going to be stuck here for a while.", Toma said as he closed the door behind him with a soft click.

Allen gave him a small smile, "Ok...", he said softly as he fumbled with Lala's innocence in his hands. Timcampy nested himself within his white locks, while Toma sat himself across from him.

Allen focused his gaze back onto the innocence, his mouth pressed into a troubled frown, "I'm wondering why this innocence would fuse with Lala...", he said quietly, more to himself than to Toma, "I wonder why I was born with this hand, and why the innocence even chose me at all.".

Toma listened in silence as the Allen continued to voice he thoughts. As a finder, he was obligated to help a exorcist as much as it was humanely possible...

But there were some questions they had to answer for themselves.

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Arianna let out tired pants as she continued to pound the punching bag, her bangs were clipped away from her forehead, which shined with sweat. She gave it another powerful roundhouse kick, indenting it's old surface momentarily with it's force.

Wiping the sweat out of her eyes, she walked over to the bench to get a drink from her water bottle, only to find that it was empty. She glared at it as if it had insulted her, then threw it harshly against the room. She ran her hands through her short hair in frustration.

Every since going out to town with Lenalee and the welcoming party, she had trouble sleeping. The bags under her eyes had gotten darker, making her look even more sickly than before. She screamed silently into her hands.

How could she be so weak-minded, letting herself begin to care for people other than her family?!

A few tears started to prick at the edges of her silver eyes as she leaned back onto the bench. She could feel her throat tighten as she thought of what they would say if they knew she was at the Order.

**_"Slime."_**

**_"Ungrateful brat!"_**

**_"Disgusting."_**

Their constant flow of insults from her nightmares echoed throughout her mind, she closed her eyes as her bottom lip quivering slightly. But there was one line that hurt her the most in particular, **_"Don't you love me, Ari?"_**

Debbito's voice seemed to pierce her heart. She could feel the cool metal of his gun pressed against her forehead, her eyes flew open in panic. Taking a series of deep breaths, Arianna forced herself to remind herself that she was awake and not in one of her nightmares.

She turned, only to see the familiar face of the young finder, Caleb. He gave her a sheepish smile, "Sorry, I thought that you were asleep.", he said as he rubbed the back of his head. He twitched anxiously under her piercing gaze.

"Fight, me.", she demanded. Caleb's green eyes widened in surprise, "Wh-h-at?", he stuttered. Arianna got up and pulled him by the jacket towards the arena, "I'm not going to ask again...Fight me!", she said as her eyes hardened.

"But you've trained for hours, you need to rest!", he exclaimed. She stared at him with a blank expression, he blushed profusely at his stupid outburst, "I-I-I mean, you look like you've been training for hours..".

Arianna snorted at his pathetic response, but otherwise chose to ignore the fact that he was basically revealed that he stalked her all morning, "I don't care, Fight me!", she said darkly.

"But..", Arianna aimed a high kick to his temple, interrupting his complaint. He jumped back in surprise as Arianna continued to barrage him with a fluid combination of punches and kicks. Her eyes reminded him of a storm cloud, instead of their usual startling light silver, they looked much darker.

Caleb, being distracted, got caught in his stomach by one of Arianna's kicks. He let out a pained gasp, they were even more powerful than they looked! Arianna didn't seem even slightly phased as she stood above him, looking down at him. Her eye's seemed to be glazed over, they were dark and unforgiving, but somehow remained captivating to him...

"If you don't take me seriously, I might just kill you.", she said bluntly as he pushed himself off the ground. He looked at her, his mouth pressed into a serious frown, "Something's bothering you.", he said bluntly.

He saw her expression falter at this, her eyes seemed to plead with him, she looked absolutely broken. "Pl-please...", she said quietly as she charged at him once again. He smiled as he took her advance more seriously.

She reminded him of a broken china doll, that was forgotten and all alone. It was as if her heart was made of glass, cold but extremely fragile. Ever since he had set his eyes on her, he was intrigued, frightened even...

But now, seeing her in a new light, he was determined to repair her.

* * *

**_~In The Train Station~_**

Allen and Toma stood, waiting for the next train, crowds of people flowed pass the shooting them curious glances. Suddenly a high pitched scream rang though the station, coming from right outside, "It's an akuma!". It sounded like a young boy, "It's an akuma, help, it's going to kill me!", he screamed agian.

Allen immediately ran towards the voice, Toma right behind him, "Where's the akuma?! Are you alright?!", he exclaimed as he rounded the corner. Only to meet the pissed off gazes from the crowd that surrounded a young brown haired boy, "I heard...", he stuttered uncertainly.

The muscular bald man glared at him, "Didn't anyone tell you demons don't exist?", he said rather harshly. Allen sweat-dropped, "What?...", he exclaimed, being rather confused as he watched the man hit the boy up the side of the head. "See what you did John!", he shouted, "These people thought you were in real danger!".

The boy moaned in pain, clutching his head, "Owww...". The man turned to address Allen, "Sorry about that, this kid likes to pull pranks.", he said as he shot the boy another repremanding glare, "He's always doing this, yelling about demons and monsters...".

John cut in defiantly, "Would you just listen to me!", he exclaimed as he waved his arms in frustration, "I'm not lying! Akuma really do exist, they're real and little by little they're invading our world!".

He paused before pointing at the homeless-looking man behind him, "Don't believe me, just ask this man, he was attacked a minute ago by an akuma with a top hat!", he exclaimed.

The man grabbed him, covering his mouth with a gloved hand, "Come on now, that didn't really mean anything!", he said in a scratchy voice. He let out a few laughs before continueing, "The kid wouldn't leave me alone, so I kinda played along,", he rubbed the back of his forehead, ", I think he got a little carried away.".

The bald man placed his hands on his hips, "Just as I thought.". The baker waved his finger threateningly at John, "We're not going to come running the next time you try to pull something like this, ya hear!", he exclaimed as the group turned to leave.

"We should go...", Toma whispered in Allen's ear, who gave him a small smile, "Right...". They were about to leave, when Allen suddenly activated is arm, "There's no way you can decieve my eye.", he said harshly as his left eye glowed.

He quickly sliced the akuma through, causing him to release John. "Be gone akuma!", he exclaimed. The akuma shed it's human skin, revealing it's iron skeleton before exploding in a rather dramatic manner.

Allen turned to smile at the boy, "Hello there, John was it?", he asked kindly before continuing, "You certainly seem to know a lot about akumas John. How did you know...". He was interrupted by the boy, who tackled him to the ground in his excitement, causing his head to hit the pavement painfully.

"Hiiiiiiiiyyaaaa! An exorcist?! I've never seen one!", John exclaimed as he sat on Allen's chest, causing his wounds to ache. "Did you kill it with an anti-akuma weapon, oh, will you show it to me?! Will ya?", he asked excitedly, completely unaware that he had knocked Allen unconcious.

"...Huh...You Ok?"

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

"You feeling any better, now?", Caleb asked between tired pants. Arianna just turned away from him, and remained silent. They were both laying on the floor of the arena, out of breath from their rather violent sparing session. Caleb could feel bruises start to blossom all over his body, and wondered if Arianna was the same. He had managed to hit her a couple times...

He watched as she pushed herself off the ground. With her back turned towards him, she lifted her long sleeved shirt over her head, revealing a black tang top. Caleb couldn't hep but stare as the scars on her arms and back were revealed, they were even paler than her skin and looked as if they were spiderwebs intertwining with one another.

She met his gaze, realizing that he was staring at her, he went scarlet and quickly turned way. Arianna raised an eyebrow at him, her lips twitched into a smirk, amused by his reaction, "You're just like Allen.", she stated before walking off, leaving the flustered teen behind her.

Now alone, she had time to finally think. Allen's face came floating into her mind, much to her dismay. She growled and walked faster to her room.

_How dare he make her worry! __How dare they, making her feel this way!_

She cursed the Order and all of the people in it as she stormed into her room, shutting her door sharply behind her with a loud slam. She threw herself onto her bed in frustration, staring at the pile of books that she had gotten from Lenalee.

In her anger, she got up and threw them across the room, she was about to do the same with the empty journal when she paused. That wasn't given to her by the Order, technically the owner of the book store did.

Arianna quickly grabbed a pen and started to write profusely in her delicate scrawl, pouring her heart out on it's comforting, parchment pages.

* * *

**_~Back To Allen~_**

Allen moaned as he walked beside John who was roller skating in front of them, "My head hurts...", he groaned to himself as he held his head. John didn't seem to notice his discomfort and began chatting animatedly, "I know a lot about them, my father is a scientist at the Black Order.", he exclaimed.

Allen looked at him with curiosity, "What?". John gave him a wide smile as he continued, "Yeah...he hasn't come to visit us in a very long time. So I decided to read his research material one day when I was really bored, and I learned all about the akuma!", he exclaimed excitedly.

Toma whispered insistently in Allen's ear, "Master Walker, sir...". John interrupted Allen's concentration on what he was trying to say, "Those people don't know anything, they don't realize that I'm on patrol so I can protect this town from akuma!", John said rather proudly.

Allen looked at him with concern, "You're on patrol?", he asked tentatively. "Yeah, I even got a partner too!", John said as he continued to give Allen a bright smile, "His name is Leo and he's a really great guy!".

Toma tried to get Allen's attention, "Sir, please...you can't deviate from your orders,", he said insistently, ", we have to get back to headquarters right away!". Allen just waved him off, now intrigued and concerned for the boy in front of him, "Oh, we will, we'll leave in just a bit.", he replied with a small smile.

"I also do patrol because i want to investigate the akuma too.", John continued, his eyes sparkling with determination. "Really, why would you want to do that?", Allen asked. John rolled his eyes and shot him a esasberated look that obviously meant that Allen was being an idiot.

"Why do ya think?!", he exclaimed, "I'm going to be a great scientist some day too and I'll make weapons that defeat akuma in a blink on an eye.". John paused as he looked at Allen thoughtfully, "But I'm kinda surprised...", he said slowly.

"At what?", Allen asked as he gave him a warm smile.

"...I just didn't think that they let weak-looking guys like you become exorcists.", John exclaimed matter of factly. Allen wanted to take back that smile as he felt himself get crushed by the boy's rather harsh words. "Weak...looking?!", he whispered under his breath as he situated himself in a sort of emo corner.

John looked at him with wide eyes as he prodded his side, "I think that its amazing that you're an exorcist! Was it really hard Allen, did ya have connections?", he said with a michevious smile.

"Can you just give me a minute?...", Allen responded with a rather small voice. John ignored his request and continued to barrage Allen with questons, "So how did you get that anti-akuma weapon in the first place? And when did you first use it to destroy akuma? Wow, what did that feel like?! Were you scared, have you killed a lot of them, Allen?".

Allen's expression hardened as he stood up, "John, I know that you mean well, but you've got to stop this.". John looked up at him with confusion, "Huh?...". Allen continued in a serious tone,

"This is serious, you and your friend need to stop patroling for akuma.", he said repremadingly, "You might do something foolish and if the Millenium Earl were to set his sights on you, it'll be very bad!".

John gave him a angered pout before throwing an object into his hands, "Catch.". Allen looked down at it with confusion, "What's this?". It was the shape of an onion and seemed to be ticking.

Suddenly it exploded, causing streams of tears to flow down Allen's face, "My...my...my eyes!", he cried. John stuck his tongue out at him, "hehhehehehehe, I invented it myself, it's an onion bomb!", he exclaimed before skating off, "Sorry, but I can't just stand by and watch akuma invade our town, I just can't!" "Looks like I'm even braver than you are, Allen!".

Allen continued to wipe the tears from his eyes, "But I...Fine. I give up!", he exclaimed pitifully. Toma sighed as he handed him a tissue, "This wouldn't have happened of we left we should of.", he said matter of factly. Allen looked up at him through his tears, "I know, but I just wanted to help.", he said quietly.

Toma placed a hand on Allen's shoulder, "Master, if you're that worried, I'll ask the finders posted in this town to watch over him.". Allen looked very grateful at his words, "Will that satisfy you?", Toma asked before continuing, "Then you and I can return to headquarters.".

Allen gave him a vibrant smile of appreciation,

"Yes, I appreciate it, Toma!"

* * *

**_~At The Black Order~_**

Allen sighed with relief when the entrance of the Order came into view. He and Toma stepped off of the boat onto the docks, unaware that someone was there waiting for them to arrive. "We're finally back!", Allen exclaimed as he stretched, the innocence tucked safely in his pocket.

Toma nodded with agreement as they made their way to the entrance, only to be stopped by a very pissed Arianna. Allen was surprised at her appearance, she had chopped off her beautiful hair. But quickly deviated from that as she shot him a cold glare...

Even harsher as usual.

Allen sweat-dropped as he took in her expression. He had been so busy that he had forgotten all about her! He watched, frozen to where he stood as Arianna cracked her knuckles, her silver eyes piercing into his.

"Ahhh...Hello Arianna.", he stuttered before he could stop himself. Her glare intensified, as she stalked towards him as if he were her prey.

_Shit! how could he make the same mistake?! __The world must hate him_, Allen thought miserably as he watch her make her way towards him. Arianna jumped into the air, bringing her fist back, "~Welcome back~", she sang rather creepily before slugging him in the face.

Allen flew backwards into the water as Toma watched in disbelief. Arianna's fist seemed to smoke from impact (a/n: Think Sakura punching Naruto. XD), she gave a satisfied nod before turning around to walk back through the passageway...

Leaving a flabbergasted Toma to fish the limp Allen out of the canal.

* * *

She might had been a too little harsh on Allen, he stood next to her as they waited in line for their food. The right side of his face had swollen up, and you could still see the imprint of her fist in his cheek. Many people stared at him with concern as they passed by with their empty dishes in their hands.

The grey-haired girl just continued to seeth with quiet anger. Arianna's knuckles were sore from colliding with Allen's face, she scowled as she took another step closer to Jerry's stall.

_Why did that idiot have to have such a hard head?!_

Although, she supposed that was the reason why he hadn't died yet, seeing that he had survived training with that red-haired bastard longer than she had. She ignored Jerry's complaints about having a decent meal, and made him give her plain porridge. Allen frowned at her choice, but became distracted with ordering his inhuman amount of food.

Arianna made her way to the farthest table, which had become her regular seat by now. Allen joined her a few minutes later, balancing his many dishes before placing them in front of him. Quick as a flash, he finished, letting out a satisfied sigh before setting his sights on Arianna.

She ignored his pleading gaze, as she silently ate her porridge in dainty mouthfuls. "You're angry at me.", he said sadly as Timcampy landed on Arianna's head. She ignored him, refusing to meet his eyes she responded in silence,

"..."

"For leaving?...", he continued knowingly as he started to clean up his plates.

She glared at him, "You broke your promise.", she said scathingly. Allen was about to respond when she interrupted him harshly, "We are a team, Allen. We stick together.". She didn't sound as if she was addressing him as a friend, but rather that she considered him an obligation.

It upset him.

The finder Caleb was about to make his way over to them with Lenalee by his side, when Arianna got up and walked out of the dining hall abruptly, pushing passed him. Allen looked after her, with a rather tired expression.

Lenalee looked after Arianna's retreating figure with concern, "Is she alright?", she asked quietly. Allen sighed as he leaned back into his seat, shaking his head. Caleb frowned as he gave Allen a cold stare.

He didn't know who he was, but he had made Grey go into a even worse mood than she was in the morning. Caleb growled slightly, he felt increasingly more protective over the girl with every passing hour.

Allen looked up at him questioningly, "Who are you?", he asked politely.

"Caleb.", he responded rather harshly, not letting up his cold glare, "Who are you?". Allen frowned at the 18 year old's rudeness, "Allen Walker, Grey's older brother.". Caleb scoffed, he remembered hearing the other finders talking about him, but was determined to consider it false...

until Grey confirmed it herself.

"She never mentioned having a brother.", he replied icily. Allen's expression hardened, "It's none of your buisness.", he responded calmly.

"Yeah, it is.", Caleb said bluntly, "I'm her friend.". Allen's eyes widened at this, but then composed himself, "As if!", he exclaimed as he stood up. He turned to leave, but not before continuing bluntly,

"...That girl doesn't consider anyone her friend.".

His eyes were sad and his expression was dejected, making Caleb feel guilty. Lenalee watched with wide eyes as Allen left them. She quickly rounded on Caleb, sending him a accusing glare. Caleb looked down at his food, ignoring her, he pushed it away and stood up with a sigh.

He left Lenalee, and tried to ignore the stares from the people nearby who had heard their conversation. Pushing his messy brown hair out of his face, he continued down the hall...

He was pretty sure that he knew where Grey would be.

He smiled grimly to himself as he headed back towards the training arena.

* * *

**DONE! **

**..THAT TOOK ME A LITTLE MORE EFFORT THAN USUAL. I HAD TO FORCE MY SELF TO RECORD THE LINES FROM THE EPISODE...I KINDA GOT SIDETRACKED AND STARTED TO WATCH TODD HABBERKORN AND VIC BROMANCE/INTERVIEWS/PANELS. **

**THEY ARE SO FUNNY XD. AND TODD IS SO CUTE! HE PLAYS THREE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS; HIKARU FROM OURAN HIGHSCHOOL HOST CLUB, DEATH THE KID FROM SOUL EATER, AND OF COURSE THE EXTREMELY LOVABLE ALLEN WALKER :D. AND VIC IS FREAKING TAMAKI AND EDWARD ELRIC (NUFF SAID XD).**

**ARIANNA IS HAVING A _LITTLE_ TROUBLE ADJUSTING TO THE ORDER *BEING SARCASTIC***

**...YEAH...**

**SHE WOULD PROBABLY MURDER ME IN MY SLEEP IF SHE KNEW I WAS THE ONE WHO WAS MAKING HER FEEL THIS WAY. ;_; **

**A: "WHAT?!" **

**Me: AHHHHHHH CRAPPPPP!**

**JKJK.**

**POOR ALLEN, HE GETS ABUSED BY HER CONSTANTLY. I THINK THAT WAS LIKE THE THIRD TIME SHE HIT HIM IN THIS FANFIC. T^T'. I LOVE TO THINK THAT HE AND CALEB WOULD HAVE A SORT OF RIVALRY WHEN IT COMES TO ARIANNA XD (ALTHOUGH, ALLEN THINKS OF HER AS A SISTER...HIS ASS BELONGS TO LENALEE...OR ROAD...IT DEPENDS...).**

**...**

**ANYWAYS...**

**HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOYED THIS.**

**PLEASE REVIEW OR I'LL SICK ARIANNA ON YOU! :D**

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	14. Chapter 11: Exceptions

**SORRY FOR SUCH A LATE UPDATE AND A SHORTER CHAPTER THAN USUAL, I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH TIME BECAUSE OF SCHOOL STARTING AND DANCE PRACTICES INCREASING. I WANTED TO FOCUS A LITTLE MORE ON ARIANNA'S FEELINGS RATHER THAN GOING BY THE EPISODE. PLUS IT SAVES ME THE TIME TO ACTUALLY WRITE ALL OF THE LINES FROM THE EPISODE... **

**I'LL TRY TO UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN!**

**ENJOY**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_ ~With Arianna~_**

Arianna sighed as she washed her hair, her fingers running through the knots of her wet hair. The familiar scent of her shampoo filled her senses, adding to her relaxation as the hot water loosened her sore muscles. No longer covered up by clothing, her bare body was veiled by a sheen layer of steam.

There has only three people other than her family who had seen her so exposed; Allen (they lived together, awkward moments were bound to happen), Cross ( for the same reason, but she rather not think about it), and Lenalee (dress shopping).

She didn't know what they thought of her marred complexion, but she was certain that if a normal person saw her skin, they would have had a heart attack. Scars lined her back, stomach, and even ran down her arms and legs. They intertwined with one another in a grotesque yet intriguing pattern.

Pale and rather smooth, they were not angry red or puckered like most scars people got, it was as if what ever caused them cut into her skin with machine-like precision. There were a few from the time she was training with Cross and Allen, but most were from her time at Broker manor.

For any normal girl, these scars would have definitely driven them into a deep depression and life of self-consciousness. But for her, they represented all the pain and suffering that she had endured to be with her family, her absolute loyalty to them.

They showed her strength.

Allen and Cross told her that an akuma gave her these scars, that her father was really a monster. Cross even blatantly told her that her family were monsters as well when Allen was away.

Arianna's fist tightened as she allowed the water of her shower to run, plastering her hair to her face. She didn't care what that red-haired bastard said about her family, he said they were closely linked with akuma, that they were evil, that they weren't capable of caring about anything other than themselves.

Although she knew that akuma themselves were tragic, she couldn't hate the reason they were created...

To eliminate the detestable filth of humanity.

Over the course of her "training", she had seen first hand the vulgar of man, everything that her family protected her from. Humans were evil, they stole, they lied. How can they say akuma are monsters when they could act a thousand times worse than any akuma to each other.

What was wrong with wanting to eradicate the filthiness of human nature?

Wouldn't it be worth it in the end?

Arianna's teeth clenched as Allen's face came floating to the front of her mind. Allen, being the self-righteous idiot he was, would probably be livid with her if she ever voiced her thoughts. But somehow, she suspected that he knew them anyway, she could tell by the way he looked at her, disappointment and pity in his eyes...

Sometimes innocent hope.

She couldn't deny that Allen was infinitely better than the majority of humanity, but he had a fatal flaw. Allen was too naïve, too forgiving, too compassionate. Over the two years she had known him, she had watched him risk his life without hesitation for people who absolutely did not deserve it...

People who honestly belonged in hell.

Why couldn't he see that he was trapped here, that they were trapped here.

The Order thought nothing of him, he was their tool, a weapon in this holy war. As for her, she might as well have been dirt on their shoes. Lenalee, Reever, the science trio, Jerry, Caleb...

They were all like Allen.

They were naïve and innocent, unaware that they were considered replaceable to the Vatican, that they were being used. Arianna's heart lurched as she turned off the water and reached for her towel.

She hastily dried her body, then turned her attention to her hair, it sprang into a slight afro after she rubbed it dry with her towel. Scowling at her refection in the mirror, she shook slightly from increasing anger as she patted her hair down.

They claimed that they were a big family, what a load of bull, a real family wouldn't treat one another like insignificant chess pieces.

Arianna reached for the bandages by the sink, grumbling as she made bindings around her chest, grudgingly acknowledging that this was one of the mishaps of growing up. Almost thirteen years old, she had reached the awkward time in a person's life where they were between child and adult.

Her features were starting to become more defined, her face was losing it's baby fat, accentuating her jaw line and she could see soft curves in her body start to form. She could also feel the ache in her joints that signified growth. Thankfully the "bleeding" hasn't started yet, something that she had learned in her medical books, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

She pulled on her under-armor, which consisted of a durable black long-sleeved shirt and leggings before reaching for the package lying on one of the racks...

Her uniform.

It was a modified version of the typical male uniform, or female's, she wasn't sure, she hadn't seen any female finders yet so she had nothing to compare it to.

Instead of the usual jacket however, it was a poncho like cloak that went down just below her ribs, complete with a large hood. Underneath it was a tan skirt much like Lenalee's except slightly longer with slits on the side for movement, it was obvious that she was supposed to wear leggings for pants underneath.

Arianna sat down on the bench by the side of the wall as she wrapped her feet with bandages for more support in her boots, which she quickly laced up. The finishing touches were the small belt with pouches that she draped around her waist, the finger-less leather gloves, and the cross clip to pin her bangs out of her face.

She paused at the last one, it had a tag on it,

**_Congrats on becoming a finder, Grey!_**

**_~Allen _**, was written in Allen's hasty scrawl.

After a few minutes of staring at this unnecessary gift, she pinned it into her hair and tucked the tag into her pocket. She felt a twinge of guilt, maybe she was too hard on him. It wasn't his fault he was such an innocent idealist who was reckless when it came to saving life even when they didn't deserve his tremendous kindness that put angels to shame...

it was his nature.

She froze as this ran through her mind, it was bothering her for some time, hidden in the back of her conciousness. Although she felt sick to her stomach at the thought of considering Allen part of her family, she knew that it would be hopeless to consider him otherwise after sleepless nights of hard-core training/writing in her diary.

She could almost hear Debbito and Jasdero's voice ring through her mind,

**_"There are always exceptions to the rules, Ari"_**

_Could he be an exception? _

The moment she thought of this, the faces of others from the order pierced her mind. She felt her heart sink,

_Would she just keep making exceptions, even when she knew that she would eventually leave them forever?..._

She had a mission to complete, despite these fleeting feelings, She had to see her family again. It plagued her constantly, like she was in withdrawal everyday. She yearned for their loving caress, the felling of absolute safety when in their arms.

She knew that she would still do anything to get back to her family...

To get back to him

_Even if that meant that she had to play the part of dirt on the Vatican's shoes._

The faces of Allen, Lenalee and the others flashed in front of her eyes once again. She took one last look at herself, trying to ignore the look of guilt on her face before leaving the room, shutting the door sharply behind her as she pulled up her hood.

**_Even if it meant leaving them forever._**

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

Allen sighed as he walking into the science section, his cheek was still slightly swollen from Arianna's assault. He was troubled by yesterday's events regarding Arianna and John, but right now, he was focused on the innocence that was still in his pocket.

He didn't know what he should do with it, but he knew that he couldn't keep it forever.

He walked to Johnny, intending to ask him about this problem, but he was a moaning mess,"I can't finish.", he groaned as he leaned back into his chair. Johnny's friend, Tap, as the same,"No way this is getting done.", he exclaimed, his head on the table.

Allen could hear Reever reply from behind the stack of paper and books, "it would take a miracle!". Allen sweat-dropped slightly as he bent down to Johnny, "Umm...excuse me.", he asked tentatively, only to be interrupted by the semi-conscious man, "No more...I can't".

65 flew past, with another large stack of paper work in his arms, "There's more where that came from, this is just the tip of the iceberg!", he exclaimed rather cheerfully. Allen was sure that Johnny was close to dying from exhaustion. Allen let out a deep sigh, as he straightened up, watching Lenalee come into view carrying a tray of coffee.

"Ok, who wants coffee?", she said with her characteristically cheerful voice. All of the people in the science section raised their hands with an almost zombie-like quality as a universal, "I do!" rang throughout the room. Allen smiled, he should have just asked her before!

"Excuse me, Lenalee?". Lenalee turned to him curiously as she continued to hand out the coffee from her tray, "What is it?". Allen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well...ahhh...I'm not sure what to do with the innocence we've collected.", he said was an apologetic smile.

"Oh that, you can just take it to Hevalska and she'll secure it for you Allen.", she responded bluntly as she turned her attention back onto the scientists. Allen sighed as he started to make his way down to Hevalska's chambers. Lenalee said that he would consider the Order his home, but nobody had even acknowledged that he was back...

Other than Arianna, but he can't say that was a very happy welcome.

Allen could feel himself go deeper into a depression as he remembered yesterday's events, Timcampy landed in his hair, making himself comfortable. Allen ignored him, Arianna still on his thoughts.

Hopefully she had forgiven him by now, he had left her without warning, but he couldn't help but feel neglected by her. A tiny glimmer of hope filled Allen's soul, maybe the reason she reacted that way was because she was genuinely worried for him. But then he remembered her cold expression...

He let out another deep sigh as he continued to walk down the Order's marble hall ways...

He would find her after he secured the innocence

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Arianna let out another tired sigh as she walked towards the dining hall, intending to meet up with Caleb who had insisted that she had to meet the rest of the finders. As she approached the end of the corridor she saw an end of a black ponytail round the corner.

Who ever it was, she could hear the person's grumbles from where she was standing. For a minute she thought that it was Lenalee, but her hair was emerald-green and she would never grumble...

plus it sounded male.

Arianna was confused, if it was a man, why in the world would his hair be so long? Suddenly her heart gave a sharp lurch as the face of the androgynous exorcist who destroyed her way to get home pierced her mind. She felt the blood leave her face, her hands clenched into tight fists by her sides as she stood shell-shocked.

She was running, as if she was possessed, towards the mysterious man. Rounding the corner, the japanese exorcist came into view, validating her fear. He stared at her in mild surprise, but quickly turned into annoyance,

"What do you want?", he said in a cold tone, his onyx eyes boring into hers. It was as if she was in her cage all over again, unable to speak as a mixture of fear and anger bubbled up in her chest.

Arianna began to shake, the familiar feeling of hysteria filling her being. The samurai exorcist glared at her, obviously thinking that there was something seriously wrong with her, "Are you a retard, Chibi?".

Slowly, Arianna pulled down her hood, revealing her face and hair. The asian's eyes widened momentarily with surprise and recognition, "You!", he exclaimed. But he relaxed and let out a scoff before turning away from her, "Look kid, I don't need your thanks.", he said coldly.

Arianna felt her anger overpower her fear, without saying a word, she stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve. He turned around, about to retort nastily, but was surprised to see her murderous expression. The stoic exorcist could see a hint of madness in her eyes that shone like liquid silver.

Quick as a flash, Arianna brought up her knee into his crotch as hard as she could muster. She watched in almost sick satisfaction as he crumpled to the floor in pain, grabbing his manhood.

About to kick him in the face, she was interrupted by Caleb who seemed to appear out of nowhere. His green eyes were wide with a mixture of horror and awe as he pulled her back softly, "What did you do, Grey...", he said, almost whispering.

Arianna seemed to let out a almost inhuman snarl as she pulled from his grasp, trying to continue to her assault on the exorcist who laid on the floor. Caleb immediately tightened his grip on her, recognizing that she wasn't in a stable mentality now.

She thrashed in his arms as she glared at the fallen exorcist as if he was her prey. Caleb eyed Kanda in fear as he slowly got to his feet, a murderous aura surrounded him as he fingered mugen.

"Sir Kanda, I...", Caleb stuttered as he tried to shield the girl in his arms. He felt something wet drip on his arms, looking down he was shocked to see that Arianna was crying. Tears streamed down her face as she continued to glare at Kanda.

Suddenly, she bit his arm harshly, causing him to release her in pain. She landed on the floor gracefully as pushed by Kanda with a speed that was almost inhuman, leaving the flabbergasted finder with a very murderous exorcist.

Arianna ran untill she couldn't run anymore, until she didn't know where she was.

She collapsed onto the floor, leaning her back against the cool stone of the wall. Ragged breaths shook her body, as she tried to contain the sobs that racked her body, curling into a fetal position. Suddenly she heard frantic voices coming towards her, she quickly shrank back into the shadows, she couldn't stand the thought of anybody seeing her in such a feeble state.

**_"Did you hear, Allen is in trouble!"_**

**_"Yeah, there was akuma attacks in town and he was heading straight towards them!"_**

**_"Toma said that he was concerned about a boy named John."_**

**_"We should send back up!"_**

**_"Yeah...let's go tell the others!"_**

Arianna stiffened at these words, she felt fear grip her heart.

That idiot, breaking his promise again!

He couldn't leave her, not now.

She needed him!

At this time, Arianna was not in her right mind. Her encounter with Kanda had seriously struck a sensitive trigger in her conciousness, reducing her to almost primal instincts.

And now, this one was protecting her family...

protecting Allen.

She ran, but this time towards the docks, ignoring the shocked looks of the finders as she passed them.

* * *

**_~With Allen~_**

Allen panted with exhaustion as he clutched his wounds, the remnants of the hundreds of level one akuma littered the streets. Nearby buildings smoked in the aftermath, their walls and windows blown out from the warfare.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Lenalee and Toma run towards him, John following closely behind them. he could barely hear their concerned voices as the blood pounded in his ears from over exertion.

He just smiled and waved them off, claiming that he was fine. They helped him up, Lenalee and Toma draped an arm over each of their shoulders, leading him back towards the train station, John followed close behind until they reached the end of his street.

John waved them goodbye as he sprinted to his house, turning the corner, he suddenly collided with someone. His blue eyes widened with surprise as he was thrown to the ground, when he looked up, he saw that it was a girl.

She was very pretty in his opinion, but he soon noticed that she was extremely worried and distraught

"Allen...", she muttered brokenly as she stared at him. John faintly pointed towards the end of his street, still in awe at the strange girl. The girl's silver eyes widened as she quickly pushed herself off the ground, running off madly.

Arianna quickly rounded the corner, the backs of the others coming into view. She felt an intense wave of relief fill her as she sprinted even faster towards them. They apparently heard her advancements and turned around in confusion.

Allen's eyes widened as he was suddenly thrown back, Arianna clinging to him tightly. He could feel a wetness seeping through his shirt and realized with awe that she was crying,

"Don't leave me!", she chanted over and over again, shaking as she tightened her grip. Allen gave her a small smile and patted her back comfortingly as he hugged back,

"I'm sorry. I was being stupid again, wasn't I?".

Arianna didn't reply, and just continued to hug him, slowly calming down.

She couldn't fight it anymore...

**_He was her exception._**

* * *

**THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE KEPT READING MY FANFIC!**

**IM SORRY THAT THIS WASN'T AS LONG AS I WANTED IT TO BE, BUT I THINK THAT IT GIVES YOU THE MAIN IDEA ABOUT THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT COMES TO ARIANNA AND SUCH...**

**I WARN YOU GUYS, BECAUSE MY DAD'S A BUTT (HE'S LIMITED MY INTERNET.) AND I HAVE SCHOOL AND I HAVE DANCE...**

**I WON'T BE ABLE TO UPDATE AS MUCH AS I LIKE. :(**

**BUT I WILL TRY TO WRITE AS MUCH AS I CAN. I THINK THAT I'M GOING TO MAKE UP MY OWN STORY ARC FOR ARIANNA TAKING PLACE AFTER MIRANDA'S ARC. BUT IDK, I DONT WANT TO RUSH THINGS...I'M STARTING TO DOUBT MYSELF, WHICH ISN'T REALLY GOOD FOR A WRITER.**

**I'M UP FOR SUGESTIONS YOU KNOW, SO PLEASE REVEIW.**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	15. Chapter 12: An Unexpected Reunion

**HEY GUYS!**

**I'VE DECIDED TO START ARIANNA'S INDIVIDUAL STORY ARC! I'M ALSO GOING TO BE DOING SLIGHTLY SHORTER CHAPTERS...PROBABLY, IT REALLY DEPENDS.**

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_~At The Black Order~_**

"So let me get this straight, you're sending me on my first solo mission?", Arianna asked with vague interest, absent-mindedly playing with her as she sat cross-legged on the couch before Komui's desk. Komui gave her a kind smile as he nodded, "You will be traveling alone, but it won't be a solo mission.", he said smoothly, ", at least, not yet.".

"You will be meeting up with Caleb and his unit,", he continued as he handed her a pamphlet,", but they won't be able to meet at your location until a few days after you arrive.".

Arianna skimmed through her papers, her long lashes brushing her cheek as she looked down at them. Her lips turned down in a small frown, "What about Allen?", she asked as she looked up at him. Although she tried to hide it, there was an unmistakable tone of concern in her voice.

Komui gave her a knowing smile, which made her squirm with discomfort.

"I was going to give him and Lenalee a mission in Germany.", he said shifting through his papers, "Apparently there is a town that is being endlessly rewound.". Arianna looked interested, but nether the less kept her mouth shut and nodded briskly. She stood up to leave when Johnny came running in, a typical finder's backpack in his hand.

He panted from slight exhaustion as he held it out to her, "Here Grey, it's your very own finder gear!", he exclaimed with a wide smile. She stared at him, but her usually icy silver eyes seemed to have softened as she gently took it from him. A grey golem came flying out of it, its metallic feathery wings glinted in the light.

It looked a lot like Timcampy except it's wings were covered with small metal feathers and the cross on it was more intricate and ornate. Arianna stared at it as it flew over head, her silver eyes wide with surprise and awe.

Johnny's grinned wider as he took Arianna's reaction as acceptance, "Do you like it?", he asked excitedly, "Allen came up with the design, but we scientists made it come to life!", he continued rather proudly.

"It's beautiful...", she said quietly as it landed on her shoulder, already snuggling into her neck, "Thank you, Johnny...". Johnny beamed and waved her off bashfully, "It's no problem, Grey, you're family!".He was too busy trying to cover up his blush, that he didn't notice that her eyes seemed to darken at this. Komui smiled sadly, her slight change in deposition didn't go unnoticed by him.

Arianna pulled the backpack onto her shoulders and settled her new golem on the top of her head. She turned to leave, "You will leave as soon as you can after lunch.", she heard Komui say, "Oh! could you tell Allen and Lenalee to come to my office while your there?".

She gave a small nod as she walked out of his office, heading to the dining hall, her boots clicking softly on the tile floor. After a few moments of silent walking, she paused and looked up at the grey golem nesting in her hair.

"I guess that I should give you a name...", she said quietly in a bitter-sweet tone. The golem flapped it's wings in excitement. Arianna felt her lips twitch, as if she wanted to smile, but then turned down into a slight frown.

"Wait...Are you a boy or a girl?", she asked, her brow furrowed. Her golem just flapped it's wings, nesting deeper into her hair as if snuggling into her. "I guess it doesn't really matter...", she said slowly, her eyes narrowed in thought. After a few minutes of thinking, she suddenly bursted out,

"Constant! Your name will be Constant, because you'll **_constantly_** be with me.".

Ok, she wasn't very good with naming things, and that was a pretty bad pun...

But Constant didn't seem to mind as it flapped it's wings flying off her head, happily circling her in excitement as they entered the dining hall. After getting her normal light lunch and having her normal argument about proper nutrition with Jerry, she made her way to the monstrous pile of dishes on the farthest table where Allen would undoubtedly be found. She sat next to him and after saying a polite hello to Lenalee, started to eat her lunch.

"So you like your new golem?", Allen asked with large grin as he pulled yet another plate of mitarashi dango towards him. Constant was getting acquainted with Timcampy, they chased each other above them, as if playing a game of tag.

Arianna gave a small nod, her normally stoic expression softening as she gave him a tiny smile. Allen froze for a second, he was exponentially happier.

She had smiled at him. Although it still had a sad, unhappy look to it, she had still smiled at him!

Allen gave her a brilliant smile, literally sparkling as he stuffed another stick of mitarashi dango into his mouth. In his excitement he accidentally poked his tong with the sharp end of the stick, causing him to spit it out in pain. Lenalee giggled as she kindly handed an embarrassed Allen a napkin, Arianna snorted with amusement.

"So did you give it a name?", Lenalee asked as she helped Allen clean up his mess, her amethyst eyes shining with a sort of sisterly kindness. Arianna nibbled on her sandwich before answering bluntly, "Constant.".

Lenale frowned for a second at the unusual choice of name, but then gave her a warm smile. Allen looked up at Arianna with interest as he started to clean up his dishes, "Why did you choose that name?", he asked with genuine curiosity.

Arianna just continued to nibble on her sandwich, "Because.", she said in the same blunt tone.

Allen and Lenalee sweat-dropped as Arianna gracefully cleaned up her half eaten sandwich and pulled on her backpack. "Komui wants to see you, he has a mission for you two.", she said before standing to leave.

Allen gave her a small smile, "Good luck Grey, stay safe.", he said full-heartedly. Arianna stared at him for a few seconds before suddenly pulling him into a hug, making him freeze with shock. She released him as quickly as she embraced him, "Try not to die, idiot.", she said quietly and quickly hurried out of the dining hall, ignoring the shocked stares of the people near them.

Allen wasn't sure, but he swore that he saw the tips of Arianna's ears go red. A silly smile spread on his face, still dazed he got up, "Come on Lenalee, let's get our mission!", he said in a cheery tone. Lenalee smiled in amusement, "Yeah...". She stood up gracefully,

"Let's go."

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Arianna looked absent-mindedly out the window, watching the passing scenery. She blocked out the boisterous noise of the train's passengers as she gently played with Constant's wings. Being a finder, she wasn't give a first class compartment, instead she was forced to ride 2nd class. But it didn't bother her...

Usually.

She let out a deep sigh, being bored, she pulled out her mission pamphlet. Her silver eyes skimmed over it, reading it for what seemed to be the tenth time in the last hour,

**_Reports in the rural village of Rakkeby on the island of Mors, northern Jutland, Denmark with 228 inhabitants indicate that there are ink-like creatures wandering around at night. There have been no attacks, they have been portrayed as kind guardian spirits of the village...actual sightings have been confirmed by supporters of the Church._**

The rest of the papers were maps and travel documents. She wished that they gave her more information about these "Guardians", they sounded pretty interesting...

If they were real.

It said that actual sightings had been reported by supporters of the Church, but they were not from official employees from the Order. More often than not, she found that people spouted crazy lies to get attention. And seeing that this was a rural village in the middle of nowhere, they might have just created this story to attract more travelers.

Finally not either looking out the window or rereading her mission statements, Arianna was able to fully comprehend who was sitting next to her. She mentally cringed when she saw a balding middle-aged man staring down at her, she recognized that look, she'd seen it all the time during her time with Cross...

In the red light districts.

She scanned the rest of the compartment, trying to find another empty seat, but there were none. A vein started to twitch in her forehead as the man seemed to scoot closer to her. It looked as if he was about to touch her when a gloved hand pulled him back.

Her savior was a tall boy who looked to be in his late teens, he had fiery red hair and she recognized his vibrant green eye. She froze, it was just like with Kanda...

No. She couldn't lose control here.

Arianna breathed deeply through her nose as she tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

"Excuse me sir, my sister seems to have gotten the wrong ticket.", he said with a handsome smile, "I was just talking to the conductor to solve this little mishap, if you could move so she could get past you...".

The man let out a disappointed grumbled and moved aside, Arianna stood up stiffly and pulled her backpack onto her back. Constant followed her as she grudgingly followed the red-haired exorcist. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"My name's Lavi, you're welcome by the way.", he said cheerfully, his hands in his pockets, Arianna could see his hammer swinging from his belt as he walked. She didn't answer and glared at him. Lavi didn't seemed phased by her icy glare and continued to smile like an idiot, "You don't talk much do ya?".

Arianna snorted and looked away from his curious gaze. His smile seemed to grow even larger, "Awwwwwww, you're just like ~Yuuuuuu~.", he cooed. Arianna shuddered at his tone, she didn't like how he addressed her in such a childish way, like they had known each other forever.

He didn't seem to remember her, but maybe it was because most of her face was hidden by her hood. She was in the middle of deciding whether it was better that he knew who she was or just kept it a secret when Lavi stopped abruptly in front of their compartment, causing her to run into his back.

"You know what I want to know?", he said excitedly reaching for her hood, "Why do ya finders where ya hoods everywhere ya go!". Arianna didn't have enough time to react when he roughly pulled down her hood. She saw his emerald eye widen in shock and recognition, his mouth opened in a soft "O".

"You...", he exclaimed softly. Arianna glared at him, her silver eyes flashing as she pushed roughly passed him into the compartment. Inside was a small old man wearing an exorcist coat, except it was slightly modified.

He had a strange wisp of hair on the top of his head that made the shape of a sort of question mark and he had dark circles that rimmed his eyes. He looked curiously up at her as she sat herself down across from him.

Lavi tumbled into the compartment,"Why are you a finder?!", he exclaimed his eye wide as he got in her face. She let out a small shriek from the sudden invasion of personal space and punched him smack dab in the face.

Lavi flew back, blood spurting from his nose as he collapsed against the opposite wall, unconscious. The old man let out a tired sigh, but was otherwise calm about the situation...

Like he was used to it.

"I'm sorry about that miss, my idiot apprentice is...well..an idiot.", he said smoothly as he took a sip from his cup of tea. Arianna gave another snort as she shook out her fist that she had used to sucker punch Lavi.

"We had just finished our last mission when we were contacted by the Order, we are to accompany you to Rakkeby.", the old man continued, "Their sources have confirmed the sightings of akuma on the outskirts of town.".

Arianna frowned, "Then why didn't they contact me?". The old man gave her a soft smile, "Mind you, it was pretty sudden. We actually boarded the train about 10 minutes ago.". Arianna stared at him, the train had been in motion for the last two hours.

She was impressed, she had to admit that any old man who could board a speeding train with ease was pretty extraordinary.

"I'm Bookman, by the way.", he said holding out his hand.

She took it, giving it a soft handshake, "It's very nice to meet you Bookman.", she said softly.

"You can call me Grey." Bookman offered her a cup of tea, which she took politely.

"That is an extraordinary Golem, Miss Grey.", Bookman said as he watched Constant fly above them. Arianna, who was busy sending Lavi's unconscious form death glares, started at this.

"Hmmmn?!", she whipped around to face him, "Oh..thank you, it was a gift.". Bookman continued to look up at her hyperactive golem,"How generous...", he said thoughtfully. They were settling into a comfortable silence when Lavi started to come to.

He groaned as he held his head, "Uggghhhh...What ran over my head?".

"My fist.", Arianna responded bluntly as she looked over at him cooly, "Don't worry, I didn't break it...unfortunately.". Lavi looked concern, getting down to buisness, he asked seriously,

"Why are you a finder?".

The air in the compartment seemed to drop a few degrees.

Arianna's glare sharpened, looked at him with tremendous loathing as she responded scathingly,

**_"Because of you!"._**

* * *

**IT'S OVER 50,OOO!**

**:DDDDDD I CAN'T BELIVE THAT I'VE WRITTEN THIS MUCH ABOUT ARI! AND I'M JUST GETTING STARTED :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW :) YOUR SUPPORT REALLY HELPS ME.**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~ **


	16. Chapter 13: Rocky Beginnings

**SORRY FOR THE LATER UPDATE!**

**I GOT CAUGHT UP WITH SCHOOL AND I STARTED TO MAKE MY HALLOWEEN/ ANIME BOSTON (MAYBE) COSPLAY...MAKING A BMO DRESS :) (I KNOW IT'S KINDA EARLY TO THINK OF THAT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THIS BY HALLOWEEN. PLUS I'LL START TO GET REALLY BUSY SOON.)**

**I KNOW THAT ADVENTURE TIME IS NOT TECHNICALLY AN ANIME, BUT IT IS JUST AS AWESOME. AND IF I GET TO GO MORE THAN ONE DAY (DEPENDS ON MY FREE TIME...IM PRETTY BUSY AT THAT TIME...), I'LL DO A SIMPLE LENALEE COSTUME TOO (WHEN SHE HAS SUPER SHORT HAIR AND THEY WERE TRAPPED IN THE ARK...THEN MAKE A TIMCAMPY HEAD BAND SO I DON'T SEEM TOO LAZY XD.**

**I REALLY HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO GO THIS YEAR, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BUT NEVER GOT THE TIME TO DO SO...SAME WITH MAKING A COSPLAY COSTUME...ACTUALLY I JUST LEARNED HOW TO SEW THIS SUMMER AN IM STUCK USING MY GRANDMA'S SEWING MACHINE FROM LIKE THE 1960'S****... IT'S VERY VINTAGE AND IS LIKE ONE OF THE FIRST SINGER SEWING MACHINE MODEL.**

**IT'S VERY PRETTY, BUT KINDA A PAIN TO USE...**

**EITHER WAY, IM GOING TO HAVE A FUN HALLOWEEN COSTUME :)**

**LOL WISH ME LUCK!**

**ENJOY,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_~On The Train~_**

Lavi and Bookman stared in shock at Arianna's exclamation, she bowed her head and they could see her starting to shake. Lavi, dumbfounded, felt his mouth drop in disbelief,

"What?!"

Bookman gave him a knowing sideways glance, his mouth pressed into a grim line as Arianna's head shot up. Her eye's reminded him of blades, the way they shined deadly silver, piercing anything in their path...

Which, unfortunately for him, scrutinized Lavi under their gaze.

Her shell-pink lips twisted into a cruel sneer, "Why do you look so surprised, what did you actually think that you were some kind of hero?!", she responded scathingly, "You destroyed my home and forced me into a life I did not want!".

Constant hovered above her in an agitated way, like it could sense the distress of its master. Lavi frowned at her outburst, "But we returned you to your grandparents.", he replied queitly in a slightly defensive way.

Arianna stood up, her silver eyes flashing in fury, "Those people weren't my **_family_**!", she screamed with slight madness.

Lavi felt as if she saw him as her prey as she threateningly took a few steps forward. He cringed at her murderous expression, never in his lifetime he thought he would find a person even scarier than Yuu...

Yet there she was.

"You were in a cage and abused, we did what we thought was right!", he exclaimed breathlessly as he unconsciously pressed himself back into the wall in retreat.

Suddenly, he felt something whoosh by his ear closely followed by a loud bang. His eye shifted to his side and was paralyzed as saw that Arianna's fist was embedded in the wall dangerously close to his head.

Although she wore an expression of absolute hate and anger, small tears pricked the sides of her eyes, "ALL YOU DID WAS PUT ME IN ANOTHER PRISON!", she shrieked, bringing her face so close to his so they were almost nose to nose.

Lavi stared into those shockingly silver orbs in shock, intrigued fearfully by their color and hostility they shone with. He never felt so threatened in his life as Arianna loomed over him.

Tears continued to run down her face as her murderous expression slowly melted, a broken sadness replacing it. Abruptly, without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out the compartment.

She solemly closed the door behind her just slow enough so Constant was able to follow her. Lavi stared after her, although it seemed that she was about to kill him, he couldn't help but feel like he was the evil one here...

The way she_ looked_ at him.

_Did he and Kanda really screw up her life that much? _

_If t__hey stayed longer, could they have prevented what ever happened to her after they left?_

His teeth as he couldn't stop the almost overwhelming feeling of guilt bubble up inside him, his hands curling into fists on his lap. Shadows veiled his face as he bowed his head in a growing depression.

Bookman frowned at his apprentice, he remembered what Lavi told him years earlier about the girl, He was worried how much this rude awakening was effecting the usually nonchalant red-head.

"It's all my fault...I should have..", he heard Lavi mutter to himself, looking unusually dejected.

"Lavi,", Bookman said sternly as he put aside his tea cup, ", what happened, happened. You did what the Black Order asked of you...". Lavi looked up at him, still looking rather disturbed.

Bookman let out a deep sigh, there was a slight hint of disapointment in his serious stare, "What ever happened to that girl after you and Kanda Yuu left was not your responsibility.".

"You can't let what happened to Arianna Grey be your concern, don't forget the mission Lavi.", he continued cooly. A grim smile spread across Lavi's face and he let out a deep sigh as he fell back into his seat, "Yeah...I know.", he said seriously.

He paused for a few seconds, "But I shouldn't had let Yuu make us leave her so quickly, or destroyed the Broker manor, it was careless.", he said, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"No mission can have no collateral damage, Lavi...", Bookman said with grim intelligence, "That is why we need to stand on the sidelines, recording history, so that humanity can learn from it's mistakes.".

Lavi shot his master a very serious look,

**_"Then I'll learn from my mistakes..."._**

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Little did they know, Arianna heard the whole thing. Sitting outside the compartment, her back was pressed agianst the wall as her arms wrapped around her knees. Constant was nestled in the crick of her neck, snuggling agianst her skin, as if to comfort her.

Stray tears glistened on her cheeks, but her eyes were clear, wide with slight surprise. More often than not, she's heard the disgusting lies and true intentions underlaying in the voices of people who talked in the Order...

Jealousy.

Greed.

Vainity.

Arrogance...

And those were listing only a few she saw, of course there were exceptions...

Like when Allen, Lenalee, Komui, Caleb and the others addressed her, it made her twinge with guilt. letting out a tired sigh, she hid her head in her arms, emotionally exhausted.

_Why did everything had to be so complicated?_

As she spent more time at the Order, she could feel herself become more attached to the select people in it. It troubled her greatly at the thought that it was just going to bite her in the ass on day...

When she had to leave them.

_How could she had let herself go?_

Should she enjoy the time she had left with them while she still can, or try to keep herself dettached? Somehow she knew that she couldn't seperate herself from them completely, her resolve had crumbled too much, there was always going to be a place in her heart for them as long as she lived...

_Why did she have to be so emotional?_

_** She was in too deep.**_

Thin streams of tears started to roll down her face, her eyes closed tightly as she tried to contain her returning sobs. She sat as silently as she could, a thousand thoughts rolling through her head.

Despite being in the middle of emotional turmoil, it wasn't long before Arianna had to start fighting to keep her eyes open. The rythmic swaying of the train had begun to lull her to sleep, slowly taking her away from reality as she drifted into the world of dreams.

* * *

"Arianna could you pass the tea?", the familiar voice of Allen asked. Arianna's eyes fluttered open in surprise, but passed him a delicate teacup that seemed to appear out of no where, not that she noticed.

They were sitting in a beautiful meadow on a large picnic quilt, surrounded by a variety of wild flowers which swayed gently in the wind. It was a wonderful day, the sky was a deep forgetmenot blue, not a cloud in sight.

"Don't forget us, Ari!", Arianna whipped around, on her other side was the Debbito, the michevious smile plastered on his face. Her heart soared at his familiar face, she could feel her face alighting with color as he sent her a loving smirk.

Beside him was Jasdero followed closely by Road. From the corner of her eye, she saw the science trio chat excitedly to eachother. Caleb and Lenalee laughed merrily as they took small sandwiches from the basket held out by the Earl...

and it didn't stop there...

One by one, she saw that she was surrounded by her loved ones, exorcist, scientist, finder, alike. There were no looks of contempt, no sadness, no judgment.

The air was pure and seemed to ooze happiness and relaxation. As if all the evils of the world were gone. As if there was never a war...

Arianna's eyes watered with tears as she smiled happily at them. They beamed at her, love and kindness shone in their eyes, bathing her with warmth. She had never felt so at peace ever since her last visit to her family almost over three years ago.

**_"We love you..."_**

* * *

**_~With Lavi~_**

It had been about an hour since Arianna left the compartment, worried, Lavi decided to go look for her. But, he was surprised to see that she was curled up agianst the wall beside the door, fast asleep.

He bent down to get a closer look, unable to resist, her eyelashes brushed her cheek as she let out soft snores and her skin looked as smooth and pale as porcelin.

She looked so peaceful...

So happy.

Lavi sat across from Arianna, intrigued by her constant stream of mutters.

"Everyone...", she mumbled, "I...love you..". He could see that there were small tears at the corners of her closed eyes and her lips were pressed into a small endearing smile. Lavi felt a small spark of hope ignite in him,

Could it be that she was actually happy in the Order?

But felt it drift away, He shook his head, that was just ridiculous. Being a Bookman in training, he was an expert of reading people, and he noticed the subtle indications of her contempt towards the order the first few seconds he laid eyes on her.

Her eye's would unconciously shift down to her uniform, eyeing it as if it were chains instead of clothes. And the way she fumbled with her paperwork, as if it had insulted her in some way. And then there was her reaction towards him, obviously...

No...

_Who ever she was dreaming about, he could had the feeling that she would never be truly happy without them._

* * *

**_~Somewhere With The Twins~_**

"Debbi..."

the raven-haired twin looked up, it was his brother, he wore a serious expression as he held a phone in his hand. Debbito shot him a questioning look, not bothering to get up from his bed.

Jasdero took a breath before continuing, "We've been called back to the manor...". Debbito froze, his golden eyes went wide as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, "Wha?!", he exclaimed, "What's wrong in getting our missions by phone?!".

Jasdero gave him a knowing look, a sad smile spreading on his face, "The Earl requested that we come in person...it's not an option.". Debbito let out a string of loud curses, running a hand through his hair.

You see, ever since Arianna had died, he couldn't stand staying at the family manor. He didn't know why, but somehow every time he went back he felt rather ill. His brother was the same, except he seemed to be effected slightly less by it.

So for the past few years, the twins had been living in nice motels as they continued small missions, refusing to return to the manor...

Until now.

Debbito felt sick just thinking about it, the dainty face of Arianna haunted him, smiling at him with that brilliant innovence and large silver eyes. Growling in frustration, he threw himself off his bed, chucking anything in his path.

Jasdero silently watched his brother's tantrum understandingly, because they shared emotions, he understood all too well how his brother was feeling. Debbito's coat flew around him as he continued to destroy their room, something silver glinted in the lamp light, Jasdero knew that it was the locket that they were planning to give her.

It swung on the ribbon that he had spent the whole day finding, attached on Debbito's waist band. They weren't able to throw it away, it was too important...

It's silver ornate surface motivated them to find who ever killed her.

So far they had been unsuccessful, the only witness was "Charles" but he had sustained damage when fighting the exorcists, causing his "memory" to be scrambled. Jasdero had to admit that it was extremely frustrating, but it was Arianna's last words that let them retain their happy apperance.

**_"Don't frown, it's tiring...I know, so turn that frown upside down!"._**

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Suddenly the train stopped, causing Arianna fall to the side from the force, a startled gasp excaped her mouth as her eyes flew open. Constant hovered above her master's disgruntled form,

Arianna's hood had fallen from her tumble and her curls stood up in a awkward angle from her head resting against the wall. She heard a soft chuckle, looking up, she was met with the typical silly smile of Lavi Bookman.

Scowling, she hurried to her feet, desperately trying to stop herself from flushing in embaressment. Lavi tossed her finder backpack towards her, which she caught gracefully and swung it over her right shoulder. She saw Bookman give her an apologetic smile, and Lavi seemed to act as if she was about to break in a seconds notice...

A furious blush of new found shame fought it's way up to her face...

_How could she let herself go in front of the likes of them!_

She quickly pulled up her hood, desperately trying to hide her face from view. Constant followed her as she stormed passed Lavi, making sure to avoid his concerned gaze. Expertly weaving herself through the bustling of the other passengers, Arianna quickly made her way off of the train and into the station.

In the matter of minutes, she had reached the ticket stand, handing the cashier her pre registered ticket for the next ferry. By the time she caught sight of the Bookman duo, she already had her apporved ticket and room number for the hotel down the block.

Arianna hurried out of the station without a second glance and made her way to the hotel, desperate to get a desperately needed good night's sleep...

_She had to clear her head._

Arianna was too preoccupied that she missed Lavi's sad smile as she whipped out of the train station.

* * *

**IM PRETTY DAMN SURE THAT ARIANNA WOULD MURDER ME IN MY SLEEP IF SHE COULD...I'VE MADE HER LIFE A LIVING HELL (IN HER EYES).**

**BUT IT BUILDS CHARACTER! (LIKE MY GRAMPY ALWAYS SAYS). ****I'M GOING TO TRY TO INCORPORRATE THE NOAH FAMILY MORE NOW...**

**SINCE IT IS ALMOST TIME FOR ALLEN TO MEET PART OF ARIANNA'S TRUE FAMILY...**

**HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED,**

**REVIEW PLEASE. **

**IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET POINTERS TO BETTER MY WRITING. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CONVEY ARIANNA'S BEHAVIOR ACCURATELY, I HOPE THAT SHE DOESN'T COME OFF AS A DEPRESSED, CRAZY MOFO...(THATS JUST A VERY SMALL PART OF HER...KINDA). I'LL TRY NOT TO OVER DO IT. **

**THAT'S ACTUALLY WHY I STARTED MY OTHER FANFIC FOCUSED ON THE NOAH FAMILY, SO YOU GET THE SENSE OF HER TRUE CHARACTER.**

**SO PLEASE REVIEW, PRETTY PLEASE, WITH A LAVI ON TOP ;3**

**L:"Wait, What?!"**

**Me: DO IT FOR YOUR FANS! (AND FOR THIS FIC'S POPULARITY XD)**

**L: "..."**

**WTYL,**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg**

* * *

**_~SPECIAL EXTRA TIME! ARIANNA'S ORIGINAL CONCEPTS AND OTHER STUFF~_**

-AT FIRST, I PLANNED ON MAKING HER AN EXORCIST, WHO WAS ABLE TO CONTROL SHADOWS FROM SPECIAL BRACELETS THAT SHE FOUND ONEDAY. BUT WHEN I MADE HER INTO AN ACTUAL PIECE OF INNOCENCE, IT FELT KINDA CLICHE (PLUS THAT MEANT THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE HARDER TO MAKE HER LOVE THE NOAH FAMILY...THEY DIDN'T GET LOVE IN THAT VERSION).

-SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE BLACK HAIR LIKE HER MOTHER'S. AND WAS BORN INTO A PERFECTLY GOOD FAMILY UNTIL THE AKUMA KILLED HER PARENTS. IRONICALLY, SHE WAS SAVED BY KANDA AND LAVI...AND FALLS IN LOVE WITH KANDA (YEAH...IN MY FINAL VERSION THIS WAS A BIG WTF MOMENT).

PLEASE NOTE THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE CLOSER TO THIER AGE (LIKE 16 OR 17...NOT 12/13)...ALTHOUGH, DEBBITO WOULD BE CONSISDERED A PEDBEAR IF HE ACTUALLY AGED THE WAY A NORMAL HUMAN BEING...AHH WELL XD.

-BASICALLY HER PERSONALITY WAS THE SAME AS WHEN SHE WAS WITH THE NOAH FAMILY NOW (SWEET, BUT A MICHEVIOUS VIBE) ONCE SHE GOT USED TO THE ORDER.

-IN THE ORIGINAL VERSION, SHE HAD NEVER MET ALLEN UNTIL A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS ARRIVAL (AWAY ON MISSION WHERE SHE MEETS DEBBITO AND JASDERO IN THIER HUMAN FORMS.)

-HER MASTER WAS CLOUD NINE AND SHE HAD MET CROSS ONCE WHEN HER FAMILY FRIEND (WHO WAS A WIDOW) BROUGHT HIM TO ONE OF THIER PARTY'S.

BASICALLY SHE WAS A SOPHISTICATED, CHARMING GIRL FROM HIGH CLASS SOCIETY...BUT WITH A SLIGHT EDGE. (LIKE ALLEN :)...THEY WOULD HAVE "POLITENESS BATTLES" XD.

- I WAS PLANNING ON ENDING THIS VERSION WITH HER LOSING HER INNOCENCE AND RETURNED AS A UPRISING MANAGER OF HER FAMILIE'S COMPANY (THAT HER GRANDPARENTS HAD RUN WHILE SHE WAS AWAY) AND BECOMING THE ORDERS BIGGEST SUPPORTERS.

(THIS IS WHEN THEY WERE IN THE ARK)...SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE TO TYKI, BUT KANDA CONVINCED HER OTHERWISE ;) (THIS WAS WHEN I LOVED TYKI MORE THAN DEBBITO...BUT LATER ON, I REALIZED THAT SHE WAS A BETTER FIT WITH HIM).

**_THAT IS JUST SOME OF ARIANNA'S ORIGINAL CONCEPTS. I EVEN FOUND THE FIRST SKETCHES I HAD OF HER! MY DRAWING HAS REALLY IMPROVED OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF._**

**_HOPE YOU ENJOYED!_**


	17. Chapter 14: Almost There

_**HEY GUYS, SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE...**_

_**SCHOOLS A BITCH AND DANCE IS JUST TIRING (A TON OF FUN, BUT EXHAUSTING)**_

_**WE JUST FINISHED WITH OUR SPECIAL 5 HOUR PRACTICE...LEARNED A WHOLE AWESOME HIPHOP DANCE INSPIRED BY THE GREAT GASBY :D**_

_**WELL...**_

_**HOPE YA ENJOY!**_

_**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**_

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

"Allen...".

Arianna held the phone to her ear, her hand trembling slightly as Constant hovered above her. It was nearly midnight and no matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep. Seeing Lavi had bothered her a lot more than she wanted to admit.

Despite the fact she knew it was another sign of weakness, all she wanted was to hear Allen's voice. The bags under her eyes were eccentuated by the soft light of her bedside lamp as she whispered once again into the receiver,

"Allen...Please...".

Her heart sank slightly as a static silence met her ears. After a few minutes of waiting, she let out a deep sigh as she gently put the receiver down, her silver eyes shining with disappointment.

She knew she was being foolish.

Allen was traveling, it was obvious that he and Lenalee were in a bad patch of signal. Anyways, they were probably busy making goo-goo eyes at each other...

Yes, she had noticed the way Allen seemed to perk up when he was with Lenalee, and she could tell that it was the same for the emerald-haired exorcist. Although it did bother her, which she had to grudgingly admit, she was happy for Allen.

Anyways she could end it with just one phone call...

To Komui.

But from what she'd seen, Lenalee was more than worthy to keep Allen happy. Honestly, Lenalee would be better to him than she would be in a lifetime.

She felt her chest throb painfully at this thought. Groaning as she pushed herself off of her bed, she tentatively strolled to the window. Opening it, her grey curls flowed in the icy wind as they were pushed out of her face.

Her complexion seemed to be even paler and the scars that lined her skin were illuminated in the moonlight. Climbing gingerly onto the windowsill, she pulled her knees to her chest, and looked up at the night sky.

Ignoring the fact that the pre-winter air chilled her down to the bones, she continued to gaze outwards, her pale lips pressed into a frown. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Constant flying over to her.

It wasn't until it landed on her shoulder, that she was jogged from the chaos of emotions that was her psyche. Constant rubbed itself against the sensitive skin of her neck, making her squirm at its soft tickle.

She gave Constant a sad smile as she gently took it into her hands, in many ways, Constant reminded her of Allen...

The way it always seemed to try to comfort her. Not to mention its playful tendencies...

It was as if the science team had somehow incorporated a part of Allen's essence into the Golem. Knowing Allen, he probably had them do that on purpose...

The fool always wanted to make her happy.

Arianna frowned as she slowly made her way to her bed after closing the window. She gingerly pulled the covers over her, cradling Constant in her arms like a teddy bear, the guilt was starting to eat her from the inside.

**_Despite being horrible, it was the truth._**

**_No matter how much she came to care for them…_**

**_No matter how much they came to care for her…_**

**_She would leave them, when the time came._**

Small tears pricked the edges of her eyes as she pulled her sheets closer to herself.

**_Why did she feel like such a monster, what changed?..._**

But Arianna already knew the answer to that. A shudder ran through her body, but not because of the icy chill she had let in earlier...

**_She had let them in..._**

**_She had let herself care._**

* * *

_**~The Next Morning~**_

It was a beautiful morning, a thin layer of frost lined the windows, a clear sign that winter was fast approaching. Lavi absent-mindedly started to draw on the fogged over glass, making incomprehensible shapes on its surface.

Bookman sat across from him, sipping his tea as he shifted through an immense amount of papers. So far, it had been a relatively quiet morning. In fact, Lavi seemed to be slightly put out.

Bookman let out a small sigh as his gaze shifted to his apprentice for a split second, then back to his work. Of course this was expected, after the red-head's harsh revelation yesterday on the train...

Lavi gave the waitress a small smile as she poured him hot coffee, batting her eyelashes and looking down at him with a rather lusterous gaze. This seemed to show just how much he was bothered by yesterday's events, not once did he try to flirt with her...

And she was hot!

Soft footsteps came from the hallway, they looked up, and saw the exceptionally exhausted Arianna slowly making her way towards them. She was wearing her finder uniform from yesterday, it looked rumpled, as if she didn't bother changing before she slept...

Or at least, tried to sleep.

The bags underneath her eyes seemed to have darkened, and had become even more prominent on her pale skin…

She looked unhealthy.

Constant, her golem, hovered above her in an almost protective way, as if it was ready to attack anyone who approached her with bad intentions...

No matter how petty they might be.

She continued to shuffle her way to their table, until she reached the nearest chair and plopped herself onto it with a slight groan. After waving the waitress away nonchalantly, she pulled out the mission files from her backpack.

Her tired eyes scanned the papers for what seemed to be the umptenth time in the last 24 hours, she carefully sorted them and placed the ferry tickets in the front folder before putting the file away.

Lavi stared at her with concern, his mouth twitched as if he wanted to say sorry, but didn't know how to put it in words. Despite his piercing stare, she utterly ignored him, as if she didn't know him.

She radiated an air that obviously told them that she wanted them to forget yesterday events.

Meanwhile the waitress was eyeing Arianna in a calculated way, as if sizing her up. She gave a satisfied smirk as her blue eyes raked over Arianna's slight frame. Arianna, who was adept at knowing when she was being judged, looked up and sent the girl such a cold glare that the teen seemed to freeze with fear.

Lavi watched with a sort of fascination, he was sure that she could make a grown man cower in fear with one look if she wanted. It was intriguing that the shy, cowering girl in the cage that he thought he had rescued could have ended up like this…

_Yet, he felt that there was a lot more going on in her head than ill intent to others. That she was, underneath her iron-clad exterior, simply a scared girl who didn't know who or what to care for._

He didn't realized how long he was staring at her, until Bookman gave a small cough, jolting out of his trance. Arianna sent him a blank cold stare, one of her delicate eyebrows raised in slight annoyance.

He gave her a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head in embaressment,

"Errrr…so…How's it going?", he said rather awkwardly.

Arianna just let out a soft snort and quickly rolled her eyes, as if he was being incredibly stupid. Bookman gave a slightly exasperated sigh,

"I know that you two have not gotten off on the best of terms,", he said calmly as he put down his teacup, ", but this is a mission, and we need to be able to be professional.".

Arianna turned her gaze to him, her shell-pink lips pressed into a strained smile, much like a senior businessman. "Of course, Bookman.", she said sweetly, which was quite pleasing to the ears.

Taking a delicate sip from her teacup, she eyed Lavi beneath her thick eyelashes as she crossed her legs. She reminded Lavi of one of those highclass noble women, who appeared sweet and sophiscated, but were in reality, were even more cold and calculating than their rich husbands.

Her silver eyes were guarded and emotionless, somehow, it disappointed him.

Even thought he saw that they only shone anger and hurt, they intrigued him.

It showed that she wasn't as closed off to the world that she wanted to be, like she acknowledged it…

_It made her real._

Though he couldn't really talk, he recognized the way she guarded her eyes…

_He saw it in himself, it was as if he was looking into a mirror._

She perked her eyebrow at him, clearing her throat, jolting him from his trance. He could feel a soft blush rise to his cheeks as he avoided her gaze in embarrassment. Arianna let out a soft sigh, before gracefully rising from her seat, pulling her backpack onto one shoulder.

Lavi expected her to walk away from them like yesterday, but was surprised to see her stop in front of him, holding out a porcelin hand to him. She ignored his dumbfounded look and sent him a wry smile,

"Hello, Sir exorcist. I am Grey, and I will be your finder for this mission.", she said in a soft voice.

Lavi could hear that it was strained and gave her an equally cautious smile as he took her hand. It was so small in his, it was incedible to think that someone who was so vunerable one day, gave off such a powerful aura the next.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Grey.", he said rather politely,

_**"Call me Lavi, and I trust my care in your hands."**_

* * *

**_~With Lavi~_**

The odd trio walked in relative silence all the way to the small docks, which were basically unoccupied seeing that it was nearly winter. There were a few people strageling around, undoubtedly returning home for the impeading holidays.

They followed the small crowd which was their fellow passengers waiting for the morning ferry. After giving their tickets to the man waiting on the deck, they made their way onto the ferry.

It was only going to be a few hours to the island. Once they arrived, there would be a carriage waiting to chofeurre them to their destination…

At least, that was what Arianna had explained to them when they asked her.

Being with the Black Order, they got their own compartment in first class, like they did when they were on the train. And like last time, Arianna chose to remain outside. Lavi knew it was because she wanted to interact with him as little as possible.

He wondered if she was like this to the others in the Order.

Though he doubted it, it was impossible not to be attracted to the overwhelming feeling of family at the Order. Anyways, Lenalee would have undoubtedly already made her mark on the grey-haired finder…

That girl could get through to anybody's heart. Hell, even Yuu had a soft spot for that lovable Chinese girl!

No.

He knew that he was in a whole other class in her thoughts, Yuu must had been the same…

They had been the ones that had **_"forced her into a life she did not want"_**.

Suddenly that compartment door opened, and Arianna popped her head in.

"Lavi, I am going to the dining hall to get some food. I will be back shortly.", she said, the guarded look in her eyes were as strong as before.

"The captain says that we'll be there by noon.".

Her cold aura didn't deter him from giving her one of his famous brilliant smiles, "Ok Grey, no problem!".

She smiled, forced as always, before closing the door softly behind her.

Lavi tiredly leaned back on his seat, his arms behind his head in a deceivingly relaxed stance. Bookman eyed him warily before turning his attention back on an excessively large book that layed on his lap.

Seeing that they still had a few more hours til they arrived, he decided that it would be ok to try to get some shut-eye. Lavi let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes,

He never felt so exhausted…

**_And the real mission hasn't even begun._**

* * *

**_SORRY THAT THIS IS A BIT SHORTER THAN MY OTHER CHAPTERS. BUT IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD PLACE TO STOP HERE. ANYWAYS, THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE FOCUSED ON THIER MISSION. WHICH WILL TAKE A GOOD BIT OF EXPLAINING..._**

**_AND CALEB WILL BE MAKING HIS COMEBACK LOL :D (HE'S ADORABLE.)_**

**_DON'T WORRY THE NOAHS AND ALLEN WILL COME LATER..._**

**_THIS IS FOCUSING ON ARIANNA'S FIRST MISSION._**

**_HOPE YA ENJOYED!_**

**_~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~_**


	18. Chapter 15: Entering Rakkeby

**HEY GUYS!**

**I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO (TIMES 10000000000) SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING THIS! **

**I GOT CAUGHT UP IN SCHOOL WORK AND DANCE (WE JUST HAD OUR PERFORMANCE IN BOSTON FOR MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER! WHOOP WHOOP /O3O/).**

**BUT SINCE IT IS THE LONG WEEKEND AND I AM CURRENTLY CONFINED TO MY BED IN MY FUZZY BATMAN ONESY (AWESOME) DUE TO STREP THROAT (SUCKS ASS), **

**I WILL BE WORKING MY HARDEST TO MAKE UP FOR THE TIME THAT I WAS NEGLECTING ARIANNA'S STORY!**

**SO SORRY AGAIN!**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

It's been a while since Arianna had eaten anything. Maybe it was because of nerves, or exhaustion, or maybe it was the fact that she was forced to face both assholes who single-handedly destroyed her world...

Let's just say, she was **_extremely_** hungry.

Arianna let out a tense snort of amusement as the waiter stared at her, his mouth open in comical disbelief. You can't blame the guy, he had just seen her eat the same amount of food as Allen's midnight snack!

He wasn't the only one, people around her seemed to back away in awe. Arianna ignored them as she wiped her mouth with her napkin with an air of sophistication as she gracefully crossed her right leg over her left. A few moments later, she reached into her finder bag, rummaging through its contents for her wallet.

"Here, for the meal...", she said softly as she laid a small pile of bills on the table a few minutes later. The waiter shook himself from his trance and politely took the money from her, counting the bills as he left to put her money into the cash box.

Arianna let out a deep sigh of satisfaction as she slumped into her seat, causing Constant to lose its balance on her head. It flapped its wings in protest as it tried to regain its foothold in her grey curls. She ignored its fuss as she closed her tired eyes.

"You sure can eat a lot missy...", a deep voice said matter of factly.

Arianna's eyes flew open in shock, and found a rather large and muscular man sitting in the chair next to her. He wore a trench coat and had black hair that spiked up as if he was electrocuted in some point of his life.

"You wouldn't happen to love sweets, would you?", he continued in an almost emotionless drawl.

This type of comment and his appearance would have normally rung warning bells, seeing that she had come into contact with troves of pedos while training with that bast..errr...Cross. However, the man did not look at her like he was undressing her with his eyes, instead, there was a genuine child-like curiosity in his dark eyes.

"Errr...it depends..", she replied warily, watching her strange company's every move. He nodded gruffly, as if thinking that she had said some wise theory. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a brightly colored lollypop and popped it into his mouth.

"On what?", he asked after a few moments of strange yet comfortable silence.

Arianna looked off into the distance, her lips pressed into a sad smile.

**_"...On who makes it."_**

* * *

She didn't know how it happened, but before she knew it, she was engaged in a rather civil conversation with the strange man she had met just a half hour ago. Although his initial company was awkward, Arianna couldn't help feel at ease when she talked to him.

However, she could sense that there was some sort of inner conflict raging inside of him. He radiated power, and sat as if he was desperately trying to suppress what ever it was troubling him. It was as if he was in constant pain and never once in their conversation did he smile, which was weird.

A normal person would have smiled at least once...

_Even if it was fake._

_Or real._

Allen's face momentarily flashed in her mind, his smile vibrant and as joyful as ever.

_Or genuine..._

Arianna grimaced as she remembered the way that he would look at her when he though she wasn't looking, his grey eyes filled with a mixture of pity and hope.

_Or sad..._

"You have strange hair...", the man said rather randomly as he gestured to her exposed curls. Arianna jumped as she was jogged from her thoughts, quick to compose herself, she gave the man a tight, fake smile.

"Yeah...guess so,", she said softly as she started to twirl one of her tendrils with her finger, "...It's always been this way...it's definitely one of a kind.".

The man looked at her thoughtfully, as if he was trying to put his finger on what ever he was trying to figure out. He pulled out another lollypop and popped it into his mouth.

"I've seen something like that before...Some where...", he said in his gruff voice.

Arianna frowned, "That can't be, this is the first time I've met you...", she said in confusion and growing suspicion.

The man just shrugged before responding in the same deep voice, "Dunno...maybe I saw you in a crowd before somewhere.".

Arianna was about to reply when the captain's voice can booming from the intercom,

_**"We will be reaching our destination in 10 minutes. Thank you for riding with us, and make sure that you take all of your belongings with you!**_

Arianna's silver eyes widened in shock and realization, she had completely forgotten about Lavi and Bookman. She had been gone for a lot longer than she had said she was, they must be looking for her.

Scrambling from her seat, she quickly grabbed her finderpack and swung it over her shoulder. From the corner of her eye she saw the man was still seated,

"Aren't you getting off this stop?", she asked as she turned to leave.

He shook his head, "No, I'm meeting up with some family.", he said emotionless.

"Oh...well good by then.", she said slightly awkwardly.

Arianna was about to leave when the man asked her another random question, "What's your name?". Arianna gave him a polite smile, "It's Grey.". The man didn't look at her questioningly at her as most did when she told them her name.

It was a refreshing change.

"What about you?", she asked.

"Skinn.", he said nonchalantly as he twirled his lolly in his mouth,

**_"Skinn Bolic."_**

* * *

When Arianna hurriedly opened the compartment door, she was met with the sleeping form of Lavi sprawled across most of the seats. Bookman looked up from his massive book, he cocked an eyebrow at her flustered appearance.

"Sorry, for the inconvenience.", she said through slight pants as she tried to calm her breathing. Bookman just gave her a stern smile as he closed his book, placing it into his bag. Meanwhile, Lavi let out a loud snore, making her jump at its sudden sound.

"It's no problem, your presence wasn't needed miss Grey.", he said calmly. Arianna winced, although she it wasn't Bookman's intent, his words enforced that she was considered nothing to the vatican.

A Finder was disposable, unlike an exorcist.

Her gaze hardened on Lavi's form, Lenalee and Allen's face appearing in her mind. She didn't know what was worse, being treated like dirt or like a treasure but having the pressure of the world thrusted on her...

Either option were borderline maddening.

She let out a deep sigh and looked out the window, the sound's of the docks drifted though it, signaling their arrival. Pulling her backpack closer to her and pulling up her hood, she bent down over Lavi's sleeping form.

She poked him sharply.

He just let out a small groan and rolled in his sleep.

Arianna frowned and poked him again, but this time calling out to him.

"Wake up, Lavi!", she said loudly, "We're here!".

But Lavi just continued to snore, his back turned towards him as he mumbled in his sleep. Suddenly he reached out and scratched his butt in front of her, making her freeze.

**"YOU DISGUSTING GINGER, GET UP BEFORE I THROW YOU OFF THIS BOAT!"**, Arianna yelled as she punched him with the same amount of force as she did when she sucker punched him in the face earlier.

That woke Lavi up.

He gasped in pain as he held his back, in his semi consious struggle he rolled off the seat and onto the floor. Blinking the tears from his eyes, Arianna's pissed off form came into focus.

"Ahhh...are we here?", he asked in a pained voice, shooting her a dazzling smile.

Arianna, with a vein threatening to burst in her forehead, forced herself to compose herself. Bookman just shook his head as he picked up his bag, whispering under his breath about his idiot apprentice.

"Yeah...", she replied icily,

**_"We're finally here."_**

* * *

**_~A Few Minutes Later~_**

"Come on Grey...", Lavi said as he clutched at his back, "...I said that I was sorry...". He shot her one of his famous puppy-dog looks, but like many of the girls before her, she didn't seem to be fazed by his charming gaze.

Arianna just continued to walk briskly in front of them, stumbling into a pair of cloaked travelers.

She mumbled a quick sorry, not even bothering to look up at them or address their curses as she continued to push her way onto the docks. Bookman and Lavi struggled to keep up. It impressed Lavi the way she seemed to be able to navigate through the crowds, as if she parted the crowd with her very being.

"The carriage should be some where over here.", she said as she gestured to the dirt road that they soon found themselves at. True to her word, a towns person could be seen making their way to them.

A few minutes later, they pulled in front of them, small clouds coming out of their horse's noses from the cold.

"Heya, you must be the travelers...", the man said, "...Are you the vatican people we've heard about?".

The man had a kind face, weathered beaten but otherwise showed the signs of being a handsome youth back in the day. His icy blue eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement as he addressed them.

Lavi gave him a bright smile, "Yeah. We're exorcists!", he said as he gestured to himself and Bookman. "...and our wonderful, amazing, finder, Grey!".

Arianna scoffed at this and handed the man payment and climbed onto the cart, sitting on one of the hay bales.

Lavi pouted as he followed her lead.

"What's her problem?", the man asked Bookman under his breath as he watched Lavi try to engage Arianna into a conversation...

With little success.

Bookman just shook his head as he climbed onto the cart,

**_"...Just bad history..."_**

* * *

**_~Meanwhile...~_**

"What the hell was that about?!", Debbito grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder, "That little shit didn't even look at us when they bumped into us!".

Jasdero nodded in agreement, but had a troubled look on his face, for a split second when that child bumped into them, he could have sworn he saw big silver eyes...

The exact shade of Ari~chan's had been...

Debbito didn't seem to notice his brother's daze and continued to complain as they walked down the aisle of the boat, looking for Skinn. Jasdero shook that idea from his head, it was impossible, Arianna was dead, and nothing would change that.

Debbito, done with his little rant, now eyed his brother in concern.

"What's wrong Jas?", he asked, his golden eyes sparked with curiosity then switched to anger, "Don't tell me that little bitch hurt you when she plowed into us?!". Jasdero quickly composed himself and gave his brother a broad smile,

"Of course not, silly Debby! ~hee hee~", he said as he skipped ahead of his brother, tearing his gaze from him.

**_"It's nothing..."_**

* * *

**_~With The Team~_**

When they reached the small village, it was already getting dark. The man, who had introduced himself as Edward, smiled as he excitedly described the sights of his home. he was originally from England, but one day, on a business trip, he met his amazing wife and settled down there.

It turns out that, they were going to stay with him and his wife because there was no motel in such a small town. Arianna listened half-heartedly, looking out for any sign of the sighted Akuma...

but it was silent and peaceful as they rode deeper into the village.

She could see people peeping from their windows, looking at them with curiosity and excitement. There were a few children still out, playing in their winter clothes, running through the streets.

Some of them had to be close to her age, they looked up at her with innocent eyes, shooting her friendly grins, which made her slightly uncomfortable.

"So where are these, guardians?", she asked tiredly as she tore her gaze from the children. Edward smiled at her, glad that she wasn't going to remain silent for the time she was here.

"They disappear when it's night, patrolling the outer most edges of the town.", he said motioning to the woods. "You'll see them in the morning, they like to play with the children during the day, they are very friendly!".

Edward gave her a soft smile, Arianna just nodded with the same emotionless glare. Lavi frowned at her rudeness, but decided to blame it on her lack of sleep.

He had to admit that even he was tired from their days of traveling.

A few minutes later, they pulled in front of a small cottage. It was very homey looking, with a thatched roof and what looked like hand carved beams and stone.

In the door way, waiting to greet them was a middle-aged woman with long blonde hair plaited in a very carefree way. She was beautiful for her age, with forest green eyes that shone with the same kindness as her husband's.

She giggled as he jumped off the wagon and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. Arianna looked away awkwardly, which made Lavi chuckle, earning him an icy glare from her in return. Lavi raised his arms in surrender and smiled kindly. Bookman sighed and stepped forward to address the woman.

"Thank you for your hospitality, we are very grateful.", he said as he bowed slightly, Arianna and Lavi followed his lead.

Edward smiled at them as he wrapped his arms around his wife, who leaned back into his embrace.

"It's no problem at all,", she said, with a slight hint of an accent, ", it's been a very long time since there's been visitors in this village.".

She let out a tinkling laugh, "You can say that the whole village is excited to have you here!".

And with that, she ushered them inside. It was a cozy place, with wooden furniture and little knick-knacks that Allen would have loved. You could tell that it was a family place. And without a minute notice, two small children flung themselves onto the unsuspecting trio.

Arianna's eyes went wide as she was glomped by a little girl with crazy curly brown hair and honey colored eyes. Meanwhile, Lavi was swinging a young boy who was a miniature of Edward, squealing about how cute he was.

Bookman and the couple watched amused as Arianna and Lavi played with the rambunctious children.

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

After 30 minutes of chaos and a delicious dinner, Arianna found herself in the tub, taking a much-needed bath. She sighed in relief as she scrubbed her hair, Constant hovering above her. suddenly a ringing came from it, and Arianna quickly told Constant to link her through...

It was Allen.

**_"Arianna! Is everything OK?!"_**, he shouted, almost making her jump out of her tub with surprise.

she mentally face palmed herself, she had completely forgotten that she had tried to call him when she had her emotional breakdown. She was so flustered that she didn't realize that he called her by her real name.

"Hey Allen, I'm fine.", she said in the most calming and reassuring voice she could muster, "I just had another panic attack, it's all good.". But Allen didn't seem to be reassured or more calm.

_**"Grey, you need to be more careful."**_, he said, worry clear in his voice, **_"Have you taken your medicine? Maybe you should tell Komui..."_**.

Arianna shot up in the tub, "No!", she exclaimed, "Allen, I'm fine, honestly. it was just a one time thing. I just need sleep, that's all...".

**_"...Fine...but just be careful..."_**, he replied after a moment of silence. Arianna rolled her eyes as she got out of the tub, shivering slightly from the sudden cold.

"I know Allen, you know that I know the risks.", she said seriously, "Anyways, you seem to be the one who always gets hurt.".

She took Allen's silence as a sense of triumph, he couldn't argue with that!

**_"Yeah...just promise that you'll be Ok..."_**, he said tiredly, _**"I have to go, Lenalee and I are going to be entering the town soon."**._

"The rewinding one?", Arianna asked as she dried her hair, simultaniously reaching for her night dress.

_**"Yeah...how did you know?"**_

"Komui mentioned it before I sent you to his office.", she replied as she pulled it on, hanging the towel on the hook by the door.

_**"Oh...Ok then.."**_, he said awkwardly.

Arianna could almost see him rubbing the back of his head with his sheepish expression he always had when he said something stupid. It was comforting to her.

"Be careful, Allen.", she said as she gathered the rest of her belongings, "...Try not to come back in pieces...". Allen let out a soft chuckle.

_**"I always try, Grey."**_, he exclaimed, **_"...It just seems that I can't help myself!"_**. Arianna rolled her eyes as she reached for the door.

"Whatever, Allen.", she replied as she opened the door. "Good night...". She was surprised to see that the Kristina's daughter, Hanna was standing in front of her. She looked up at Constant curiously, her head cocked to the side.

"Who's that?", she asked innocently, "You're lover?".

Arianna almost choked on her own spit. She could hear Allen freaking out on the other end of the golems.

**_"Whaa...no!..who?!...how could you say...my sister!"_**.

Arianna hastily signaled Constant to disconnect the call before replying to Kanna, "No, that was my brother."

It came out of her mouth before she could stop it. But somehow, it didn't bother her as it usually would have. She gave her a sad smile.

**_"Yeah...that was my brother..."_**

* * *

**YEAH I KNOW THAT IT WAS SORT OF CRUEL THAT ARIANNA WAS SO CLOSE TO HER FAMILY...BUT THATS THE POINT OF THIS STORY, TO SHOW HER TRANSFORMATION DURING HER JOURNEY.**

**FYI, SKINN NEVER KNEW ARIANNA BECAUSE HE WASN'T A NOAH YET. HE BECAME A NOAH SHORTLY AFTER SHE WAS "KILLED". BUT BEING AT THE NOAH MANOR, HE MUST HAVE NOTICED WHAT SHE LOOKED LIKE... (AKA. THE PICTURE IN DEBI AND JAS'S ROOM.). BUT SKIN SEEMS LIKE THE TYPE OF PERSON TO CARE ABOUT THESE KINDS OF THINGS.**

**THE WAY I SEE IT, IS THAT AFTER ARIANNA DIED, THE FAMILY TALKS LITTLE ABOUT HER. THEY MOURN QUIETLY AND IN THIER OWN WAYS. NOT THAT THEY DON'T LOVE HER, BUT THEY JUST SEEM TO BE EVEN MORE DRIVEN TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST THE VATICAN.**

**HAD TO ADD MORE LAVI AND ALLEN MOMENTS...CUZ THEY ARE ADORABLE. BUT I GUESS I KINDA LEFT BOOKMAN OUT. HE JUST SEEMS TO BE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO WOULD WANT TO WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES (AKA. ANALYZING ARIANNA AND TRYING TO FIGURE HER OUT...MAYBE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF SHE HAS MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER OR SOME CRAZY SHIZ).**

**CALEB AND THE OTHERS WILL BE COMING SOON. (WHICH I AM EXCITED ABOUT. YOU'LL GET TO SEE HOW ARIANNA INTERACTS WITH OTHER FINDERS.).**

**KANDA IS KINDA A NO SHOW FOR RIGHT NOW...BUT HE WILL APPEAR EVENTUALLY.**

**AND YES, THE NOAHS WILL BE SHOWING UP MORE FREQUENTLY NOW 3**

**THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR PATIENCE,**

**HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED, AND PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

**PS. I'LL TRY TO UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN...**

* * *

**EXTRA! ARIANNA EXCLUSIVE!**

**-FAVORITE FOOD;** DEBBITO'S ICECREAM SUNDAES...

**-FAVORITE HOBBIES;** READING, TORMENTING LAVI AND KANDA, DANCING AND SINGING (SHHH...SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYBODY TO KNOW!)

**-STRONGEST RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE EXORCISTS;** ALLEN...OF COURSE, BUT LENALEE IS ON THE RISE. (GIRL NEEDS A SISTER)

**-STRONGEST RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE SCIENTISTS;** JOHNNY...SHE SECRETLY HELPS HIM WITH THE UNIFORMS FROM TIME TO TIME. (AKA. WHY ALLEN LOOKS SO HOT LOL JKJK...OR AM I?! XD).

**-STRONGEST RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE FINDERS;** CALEB (HER HONORARY PUNCHING BAG LOL)

**-FAVORITE COLOR; **

#1 IS GOLD, AKA. HER FAMILIE'S EYES...(DAWWWWWW)

#2 MIDNIGHT BLUE/LIGHT BLUE. (REMINDS HER OF THE SKY WHICH = FREEDOM...)

#3 SILVER...(SHE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHY...)

**-WEAKNESS;** CAN'T DRAW FOR HER LIFE...REALLY...SHE'S EVEN WORSE THAN ALLEN...

**-FIRST KISS;** ROAD...ITS A LONG STORY...XD

**-FAVORITE ANIMAL**; WOLVES...AND KOI.

**-LEAST FAVORITE ANIMALS/OTHER;** WORMS, LIONS, CROSS...

**-PET PEEVES;** BEING CALLED ARIANNA BY THOSE OTHER THAN HER REAL FAMILY. FRILLY DRESSES/DRESSING UP FOR THOSE OTHER THAN HER FAMILY. PEOPLE WHO ARE UNGRATEFUL TO THIER FAMILY. KOMUI...

**-SPOILER;**

THERE WILL BE A NEW CHARACTER COMING SOON AND THEY WILL BE AN NEW EXORCIST.

ALTHOUGH, IF OF YOU WANTS YOUR CHARACTER IN MY STORY, I WILL BE HAPPY TO PUT THEM IN INSTEAD. JUST SEND ME THIER BIO AND TRY TO BE AS DETAILED AS POSSIBLE. PM ME IF YOUR INTERESTED!

THOUGH, I WILL WANT TO KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO IF YOU GUYS CAN DECIDE AND REACH ME BY NEXT TUES OR WED, THAT'D BE GREAT.

HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS SOON!

_**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**_

_**REVIEW PEASE! **_


	19. Chapter 16: Ink Blots

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT FOR THE SHORTNESS OF IT! **

**I'VE BEEN SO BUSY, JUNIOR YEAR REALLY IS HELL...IRONICALLY, IM NOT DOING TO WELL IN ENGLISH...GOD DAMN IT. ****OTHER THAN THAT, I'VE BEEN DANCING A LOT MORE THAN IM USED TO...5 HOUR PRACTICE YESTERDAY. WHOOP WHOOP.**

**IF YOU GUYS CAN REMAIN TO BE PATIENT WITH ME UNTILL VACATION'S, THEN I PROMISE THAT I WILL HAMMER AS MUCH AS I CAN!**

**I WISH THAT I COULD JUST SOMEHOW PROJECT MY THOUGHTS WITHOUT HAVING TO TYPE IT OUT, LIKE TELEKINESIS CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET!**

**ANYWAYS...**

**ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

_**~A Day Later~**_

By the next morning, Arianna realized just how tight the community was. It wasn't even 6 o'clock when there was a seemingly endless stream of people stopping by to greet them.

Some of them bared gifts, mostly various native dishes they had cooked up, much to Lavi's delight. He greeted and thanked each and every one of them, even though there was only a handful of people who could actually speak english. Although it seemed that he was picking up on their language rather quickly.

Arianna tried to do the same out of manners, but she had to get Edward or Hanna act as her translator. Although this act of friendly welcoming was comforting in it's own peculiar way, she couldn't help but feel annoyed because it was preventing them from getting started on the mission.

So she was very much relieved when Edward cut in, saying that they needed to start because that's what they were there for in the first place. But he did hint that there would be a further celebration later on at night.

The towns people aww'ed with disappointment, but otherwise filed out of the house and led them deeper into the village so they could investigate.

When they reached the town square, every traces of earlier doubt was wiped from Arianna's mind as the "guardians" came into view.

They were black forms, always morphing, as if they were liquid but solid at the same time. Some of them transformed into humanesque figures, but otherwise remained androgynous. On the other hand, some of them seem to transform into some animal-like creatures.

Their most prominent characteristic, were their glowing green eyes that were piercing into theirs.

They seemed to know who they were, scanning them with their gaze. Arianna shivered and avoided their gaze.

it was as if they knew everything about her, inside and out...

It made her very uncomfortable.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Lavi look at the guardians with excitement and curiosity. He immediately approached them, yelling loudly and slowly pronouncing each vowel as if they had the vocabulary of a 4-year-old.

"HE-LLO THERE! WE ARE EXORCISTS WITH THE BLACK ORDER!", he exclaimed gesturing wildly to the crest on his chest, "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!".

The creatures looked at him as if he was being a idiot, as did the villagers. Arianna and Bookman both sighed in annoyance, exchanging identical looks of understanding, they both hit Lavi upside the head.

Leaving Lavi to roll on the ground in pain, Arianna rolled her eyes and she stepped forward. Constant flew around her head as if it were some sort of satellite. Taking a deep breath to ease her growing headache, she addressed the "guardians" with more elegance.

"I apologise for my companion's idiocity.", she said in a businesslike tone while simultaneously shooting Lavi a stern glare. He returned it his signature pout, his emerald-green eyes shining with amusement.

"But if you are able to communicate, we would like to ask you a few questions.", she continued.

One of the larger masses, glided forward, it split into two convulsing masses. And to Arianna's amazement, and the others, they transformed into human-like silhouettes and changed color from its original black...

Arianna felt her heart drop into her stomach, her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. In front of her were the two people she missed the most...

as incredulous as it was, Jasdero and Debbito stood before her.

Arianna fought back tears, stunned back into silence. The villagers gave her knowing and pitying looks while Lavi looked confused and tried to bring Arianna out of her trance. Bookman however, had a stern look on his face, as if he was thinking very fast.

The whole village seemed to become silent as the two twins began to speak.

"Welcome exorcists, we are the guardians.". They spoke in unison, much like the real twins would. But, they sounded nothing like them.

There was a mysterious ring to their voices, almost artificial, as if it wasn't from this world. Yet, somehow it was comforting, like their voices had the power to wipe all your troubles away, or drive you into madness.

Arianna cast her face in shadows, her hands clenched into tight fists by her side. Her fingernails cut into the soft skin of her palms, creating red crescents on their surface.

it had to be some illusion of some sort.

Lavi stepped forward, more wary of their presence after their effect on Arianna. His emerald eye narrowed as he fingered his innocence.

"You can understand us...", he replied seriously, "First of all, would you tell us why you transformed?".

Identical looks of sadness and happiness spread across the twins contradicting, they seemed to switch from one emotion to the other.

"Our master designed us to transform into the very being a person loves the most...", they said slowly, "...We meant to make the villagers happy, but..."

"Sometimes what a person loves the most, is someone they lost.", Arianna finished in a quiet voice, cold and harsh.

Lavi turned to Arianna, who was still fixated on the spot above the twin's heads. There was broken sadness in her eyes, along with hope. The emotions flowing through her gaze was as ever-changing as the twin guardians.

Suddenly her expression hardened, as if she cut off her emotions, the way Lavi observed she did when she was under extremely stressful situations.

"Could you take us to your master?", she asked in a monotone sort of voice.

Bookman took this as his chance to butt in, "Yes, it would be most helpful if we were able to speak to them.", he said rationally, "if we were able to get their corporation, then we can make sure the safety of this village while getting the information that we need.".

The figures exchanged glances, their expressions turning as hard and reserved as Arianna's.

"Master's heart will be the judge of that.", they all said in unison, "Your proposal will be taken into consideration."

And with that they left, morphing back into the undefinable masses of black as they went. Some stayed and conversed with the villagers in their native tongue, quickly transforming into the thing the individual loved the most.

A horde of villagers surrounded the trio and Edward, eager to hear what the guardians had said to them. Lavi gasped for breath as the crowd of overenthusiastic villagers crushed him against Arianna.

She had an unreadable expression, it was so unnerving that he felt a chill run down his spine.

With the grace and skill of a ninja, Arianna used her lithe figure to navigate her way through the crowd. Lavi tried to call out to her, but was obstructed by the mass of people. he watched her head for the forest, towards where the figures had gone.

Bookman shot him a knowing look, his lips pressed into a grim smile.

They knew what she was doing...

She was going to get answers.

* * *

She followed the imposters into the woods, over hanging branches scraping her face as she ran. Ignoring the stitch in her side, she continued to chase after the small blot of black, which was starting to get the best of her.

Damn hill!

she thought, panting heavily. But up ahead she could the see the trees thinning and opening into a clearing. Taking larger strides, pushed herself to make it to the top. She looked around, the wind blowing the hair around her head like it was a swirling cloud of grey.

Her eyes widened in surprise, she didn't see the guardian, but she was awed by the sights around her.

It was the most beautiful sights that she had ever seen.

She found herself in a clearing, surrounded by green forest and the sky seemed to open out to the heavens. The sky was tinted blood red and a ophiral mixture of purples and reds, the sun glinting breathlessly on the horizon, making the sea an assortment of colors.

The village could be seen from the top of the hill, it was as if she was god herself, looking down on the small pinpricks of the towns people.

Arianna's breath came out in small clouds, her cheeks were tinted bright pink from the cold. Although she didn't seem to register her condition, shaking in the chill air. A small cough jogged her from her trance.

"Takes your breath away, doesn't it."

Arianna turned to face her sudden company, it was a middle-aged man who looked a lot like Edward. He had the same blonde hair and english features, but his eyes were a warm, light brown.

her heart twinged when she looked into them, so expressive and open, they reminded her of someone...

"Yeah...I guess", she finally responded, putting her guard up.

The man smiled kindly, "It's getting late, you shouldn't be in the cold.", he said with concern, ", you've come a long way, it's dangerous to go back to the village in the dark."

Arianna was about to open her mouth in protest, but a large wave of exhaustion hit her like a train...

She hadn't realized just how far she had traveled...

"Come, let's get you warmed up."

Normally she would have refused point-blank, being the stubborn girl she was...

but she just followed the man towards the mansion tucked into the corner of the clearing.

* * *

**NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER, I SWEAR!**

**STILL LEARNING HOW TO JUGGLE THINGS IN MY LIFE.**

**ON ANOTHER NOTE, I HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH THAT THE NEXT CHAPTER OF MAN WILL BE COMING SOON...I LOVE THE NEW SYLE AND I NEED TO SEE ALLEN AGIAN...NOT TO MENTION LAVI! (Y UR FAMILY SO MEAN ARI!...A: "he was the one who kidnapped me...").**

**NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE MORE DEVELOPMENT, THE FINDERS ARE COMING! **

**PLUS I'LL TRY TO PUT IN MORE NOAHNESS INTO IT...ROAD AND ALLEN ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER...SEXUAL TENSION...(HONESTLY, AS MUCH AS I LOVE LENALEE...I THINK THAT ROAD IS BETTER FOR HIM...THOUGH THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE THEN HE COULD REMAIN ARIANNA'S BROTHER WHEN SHE GETS BACK WITH HER FAMILY...BOTH PAIRS ARE PRETTY GOOD IN THEIR OWN WAY...)**

**HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED!**

**PLEASE REVEIW, IT WILL MOTIVATE ME!**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**


	20. Chapter 17: Some Things Change

**_HEYYO GUYS!_**

**_SORRY ONCE AGAIN TO BE SO LAZY IN WRITING ARIANNA'S STORY, SO TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU..._**

**_ANOTHER CHAPTER!_**

**_AND WITH AN EXTRA DOSE OF NOAH! (HOW I LOVE THEM)_**

**_HOPE YA ENJOY!_**

**_~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~_**

**_*INCOMING! A NEW FANFIC OF MINE! BASED ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS IN ROTG, SANDY! PLEASE CHECK IT OUT...MORE CHAPTERS ARE PENDING!*_**

* * *

**_~With the Twins~_**

Debbito groaned loudly of boredom, leaning back into his chair as he brought his arms up in a deep stretch. His molten gold eyes lazily scanning his surroundings, the bland interior of the ferry adding to his gloomy aura.

Meanwhile Jasdero was madly spinning in his chair to his right, Skinn was taking out another brightly colored lollypop on his left. They sat in relative silence, which was unusual for them. Guess they had a lot on their minds.

Skinn looked grumpier than usual, his brow creased and his eyes were sharper. It was like he was thinking of something very puzzling, and it was giving him a headache. Nether the less, the constant streams of giggles from his brother and the loud crunches from Skinn were starting to give Debbito a migraine.

"Hey..."

Debbito's gaze settled on Skinn, responding to the big guy's sudden chattiness. He raised an eyebrow at him, it wasn't normal for Skinn to be so civil when talking to them. Scream, try to maul them, but not talk to them.

"Yeah?...", Debbito responded hesitantly. Jasdero slowed his chaotic spinning, so he could pay more attention to the conversation while still having his fun.

"Do you know a girl with grey hair?", Skinn asked in his baritone voice, pulling another lollypop from his pocket. (honestly, how can he keep so many?!). Debbito's eyes widened in surprise.

In his shock, he lost his balance, causing his chair to fall back, sprawling him on the floor in a disheveled heap. Jasdero stopped spinning sharply, his usually wide childish eyes narrowed as he took a more serious aura.

"**_What_**?!", they both exclaimed, more like Debbito shouted and Jasdero hissed through his teeth. Skinn didn't seemed fazed by their outrageous reactions, and continued to suck on his candy, waiting rather patiently for them to respond.

"Why are you asking something like _that_?", Jasdero asked seriously. It was as if his personality had gone over a 180 degree switch, his normally open honey colored eyes were sharp and guarded...

"I met someone strange...", Skinn responded nonchalantly. He was some what intrigued what made the twins react in such a way, but thought nothing really of it. It took a tremendous amount of energy to control the noah inside of him...

as the result, there were many times were it seemed that he was walking in a haze. It was hard to tell whether something really happened or not for him. Road knew his problem, so did the Earl, that was why they sent him on relatively simple missions. Plus, he was new to the family...

only a few months old.

You see, that's what all of this was about, Skinn wanted confirmation. He wanted to be reassured that the girl he had met really did exist, that she wasn't another apparition. Although, he was sure that she was real, never had his mind felt so clear when he talked to her.

But at the same time, he didn't want to believe it, because that would mean that he didn't completely hate a human.

"They had grey hair, and eyes that looked like white rock candy...", he continued, trying to push the twins into giving him a straight answer.

Debbito seemed to have composed himself, pushing himself off the floor, he gave Skinn his signature smirk. Jasdero, however, seemed to be doing some very hard thinking. His lips were pursed and his brow creased in concentration.

"I think you're mental...**_nobody_** looks like that.", Debbito said in his suave confidence, although there was a slight tremor in his voice. Skinn frowned, not noticing the hint of madness sparking in both of the twins.

"But..."

"**_Nobody looks like that!_**", they exclaimed harshly, power beginning to radiate off them. The trio settled into an awkward silence, the dark aura slowly dissipating from the twins.

"..."

Debbito settled back into his chair, letting out a deep sigh. He gave Skinn a serious glare, obviously telling him that this was a forbidden topic.

"It's a one of a kind look.", he finally responded, his seemed to give off a sad maturity that was uncharacteristic for the jokester. A grim smile spread on Jasdero's face as he looked out of the window, fixating his gaze on the brackish waters surrounding them.

"...and that person is long gone.", he whispered quietly to himself, inaudible to his brother and Skinn. There was a trickle of doubt and hope in his voice, as if he were thinking the impossible, but seemed to think better of it.

**_Yeah..._**

**_She's long gone..._**

* * *

_**~Meanwhile~**_

"~Hmmmmm~ So this is the rewinding town?", Road sang in her silky childish chime, swinging Lero onto her shoulder. Ignoring the confused stares from a man in a tan jacket, one that she recognized as a finder from the Black Order, she walked towards the opening into the town.

Lero, instinctively sensing his impending torture, cried out in protest as Road pointed him to the opening. Electricity seemed to crackle around them as he screamed, feeling the barrier of innocence burning them.

His mistress charred flesh quickly regenerated, clothes in all. So did he, but that didn't mean that he wasn't pissed at her. A twisted smile caressed her pale pink lips, her dark blue eyes sparked with their usual childish madness and amusement.

It had been a while since she was going to encounter a exorcist on a mission. She could feel the noah inside her purr with excitement, fueling her blood lust. Giving a light stream of giggles, she licked her lips as she remembered what she had done to the last one she came across...

**_This was going to be fun._**

* * *

**_~With Arianna~_**

Arianna shivered, anxiety churning her stomach. She frowned with concern, her instincts were usually spot on, and now they were yelling that Allen was in danger.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she pulled the blanket the man gave her. Allen was a big boy, he could take care of himself. "_But he was also an idiot"_, a voice in the back of her mind chimed annoyingly.

_Shut up..._

"I brought tea."

Arianna looked up from h~er comfortable seat by the fire, the man smiled kindly down at her. He laid the tray of two teacups on the coffee table and sat across from her. She thanked him quietly and took a cup, sipping its sweet goodness.

The two settled into a comfortable silence, the fire's soothing crackling bringing Arianna deeper into relaxation.

"What is your name?", he asked, looking at her with curiosity.

"Grey, I'm a Finder for the Black Order.", she replied politely, taking another dainty sip from her teacup, "What about you, sir?". The man smiled once again and leaned back into his seat before answering.

"You can call me "

Arianna nodded, looking up at him with her large silver orbs. He seemed to be intrigued by her appearance, she could tell what he was going to ask her next.

"You have a very unique look.", he said, not to her surprise. She let out a sigh, it took a good bit of self-control for her not to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, so I have been told...", she replied rather tiredly. seemed to realize that he had hit a sore spot and quickly raised his arms in apology, "I'm sorry, that was so rude of me!", he exclaimed.

"It's just that you look so familiar!". Arianna raised an eyebrow at this, flushed from his sudden outburst.

"How so?", she asked, genuinely interested with what he had to say for himself. He let out a deep sigh and ran his hand through his hair before looking back to her, his brown eyes looking older than they did before.

"You remind me of an old friend of mine."

Arianna put her teacup back onto the table, crossing her legs into a more comfortable position. There was something in the man's eyes that made her feel obligated to help him, like when she let Allen rant to her.

"Can you tell me about her?", she asked in the most comforting way she could.

**_"Her name was Amelia..."_**

* * *

**_~With Lavi~_**

Despite the festive atmosphere, Lavi couldn't help but feel anxious. He scanned the area for what seemed to be the hundredth time, looking for the slight figure of Arianna to come back. It had been hours since she had rushed off into the woods, and it was already dark.

The small fires cast the town center into a warm orange glow, the towns people dancing in a carefree way. Many of them had shoved native dishes into his arms, once in a while pulling him into their circle of dancing.

Edward shot him an apologetic look, but continued to take part in the festivities. He danced with his wife with gusto as his children giggled on the sidelines. To his slight amusement, Lavi could see the native boys scanning the area like he was, looking for the "new girl".

Bookman remained on the sidelines, occasionally questioning the towns people about the guardians. All he could get out of them was that they had protected the village for generations, and that they didn't know where they had come from.

He shot his apprentice with a disapproving glare, which Lavi blatantly ignored. If Arianna didn't come back soon, he was going to go after her. He couldn't let a finder get hurt because their exorcist was **_partying_**...

that would be disgraceful.

From the corner of his eye he saw a flash of grey, he whipped around, a rather tired Arianna met his eye. Although she seemed rather exhausted, she emitted a sort of satisfaction. Before he could chastise her for running off, she let herself be pulled into the dancing circle by one of the teen boys.

She shot him an amused smirk, leaving him to bristle with annoyance. Although, he couldn't believe his eyes. Arianna seemed to be actually enjoying herself, her smile seemed to be more genuine...

still sad and guarded, but it was gentler some how.

He sighed as he watched from the sidelines, situating himself next to Bookman. They couldn't help but notice how graceful she seemed, she softly executed the small intricate steps with ease and her movements seemed fluid somehow.

They weren't the only ones who seemed to notice her dance expertise. The crowd parted, watching the girl dance full-heartedly, her eyes closed. Her dark lashes caressing her slightly flushed cheeks.

She looked as if she were out of a fairy tale book, the way the torch-light highlighted her lithe figure.

Not one breath could be heard as the music stopped.

Arianna seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in, she spluttered with embarrassment as she detached herself from her flabbergasted partner. Flushing red, she tried to bolt to Edward's place, but was stopped by the cheering crowd.

They surrounded her, showering her with compliments in broken english, looking at her with excitement.

Her silver eyes seemed to widen with childlike satisfaction as they praised her, her pale lips turned up into a small smile. She gave the crowd a small curtsey, and thanked them for their kindness.

Lavi smiled, not noticing Bookman's serious look of contemplation.

**_Maybe she was getting better..._**

**_there was still hope._**

* * *

**_~With Allen and Lenalee~_**

_"I can't believe you lost her!"_

Allen looked down at his hands, sheepishly avoiding Lenalee's gaze. He fumbled with a piece of scrap paper he was making his sketch of the woman on.

Lenalee let out a small sigh, leaning back into her seat.

"We shouldn't have split up in the first place!", she said, anxiety in her voice. Allen straightened up, wanting to cheer the pretty exorcist up, he held up with awesome drawing to her face.

"Don't worry!", he said excitedly, ",we can find her with this, no problem!". Lenalee sweat-dropped as Allen showed her what looked like a deformed potato with arms that was supposed to be the woman.

"I don't think so...", she said softly, trying not to hurt Allen's feelings. He let out a few exhausted laughs, "That bad, huh?". She gave him an apologetic smile.

"_Yeaaahhh_..."

Allen slumped back into his chair in dejection.

Lenalee gave another sigh, and vaguely wondered if Arianna was having an easier time than they were.

* * *

**I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER. I ESPECIALLY LOVED TO WRITE THE DANCING SCENE..(I CAN INFUSE MY OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS INTO IT...BECAUSE IT IS MY PASSIONNNNNNNNN /OvO/)**

**AND I ADDED IN A LITTLE LAVI AND ALLEN IN THERE. :)**

**THE FINDER'S ARE COMING SOON (SO CALEB WILL BE MAKING A REAPPEARENCE) AND I MIGHT ADD SOME KANDA IN THERE TOO, I HAVEN'T WRITTEN ANYTHING ON HIM LATELY...BUT THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LATER...**

**AW WELL...**

**HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED!**

**REVIEW PLEASE AND I MIGHT DO ANOTHER CHAPTER TONIGHT!...CUZ IM NOT TIRED AND IM IN THE TYPING MOOD BEFORE THE DREADED SCHOOL STARTS UP AGIAN!**

**PEACE**

**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

_**OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!**_

_**A SPECIAL TREAT JUST FOR YOU!**_

_**HALLOWEEN SPECIAL TIME!**_

_**ENJOY!**_

* * *

_**...**_

_"I don't understand why we need to go out tonight, Allen.", a ten-year old Arianna sniffed as she shot Allen a cold glare, "...especially, looking like that!". Allen pouted as he rearranged his makeshift clown nose, which seemed to be popping off constantly. _

_"It's Halloween, Grey!", he whined down at her, tying to pry her from her spot on the floor, "We have to go!". Paper's upon paper's of what were undoubtedly bills surrounded her small form, he felt sick just looking that them. _

_Arianna ignored his pleas as she scanned through the stacks of her bastard of a master's bills, mentally tallying how much she and Allen needed to make. Suddenly, the pile of bills were snatched from her hands._

_"Allen!", she exclaimed, trying to take them back from the grinning white-haired tween. He laughed as she chased him around their small, dingy hotel room. Her cheeks flushed as she ran after him, her silver eyes sharpening as she snorted in agitation._

_But a few second's later, Allen's clown nose popped off and rolled onto the floor. Of course, Allen being unlucky as he was, tripped on it, causing him to face plant onto the floor._

_Arianna in turn, tripped over Allen, causing the neat orderly stacks of bills she had made sprawl all over the place. Allen let out muffled laughs, laced with pain as she propped herself up, finally seeing the damage he had caused. _

_She froze._

_He was about to lift his face off the floor, when she pressed it harshly back down. _

_"Alllleeeen...", she seethed, feeling the boy under her shiver from her angry aura. He mumbled something, but seeing that his face was being smothered by the dirty floor, she couldn't understand him._

_She strengthened her grasp, causing him to yelp in pain. He pushed himself up, causing her to be thrown off, landing in another stack of papers. Allen rubbed his red face, groaning in pain. _

_He gasped as he realized he had used too much strength, he quickly ran over to where Arianna had landed. Digging though the pile of papers, he tried to find Arianna who was buried underneath them._

_She gave a little cough and shook the dust and stray bills from her hair._

_Allen apologised over and over again, asking her to forgive him._

_Arianna gave him a chilling smile, her silver eyes narrowing with mischief. Allen shuddered, suddenly fearing for his life..._

_and that my friends, is how Allen had to go trick or treating as a playboy bunny..._

_in the red light district..._

_unarmed..._

_..._

_Arianna watched in amusement as she saw Allen run from a crowd of ravenous men from their hotel window. The corner of her lips twitched as she made another stack of papers..._

_..._

_"And that...", Allen said dramatically, ", is why I don't ever celebrate Halloween with Arianna.". The finders that were sitting at the table all sweat-dropped as Allen finished his story. Allen continued to eat his mountain of food, although he seemed slightly sick from reminiscing._

_Arianna quietly sat next to him, and started to eat her regular porridge. Allen and the Finder's bolted, leaving the confused girl alone. __She turned to Lenalee._

_"What was that all about?", she asked, looking rather bored at their retreating figures._

_"It's Halloween", she replied, her lips upturned in an amused smile. _

_Arianna looked at her confusedly, _

_"What's Halloween?"_

_Lenalee sweat dropped._

_"You don't remember?", she asked, ", when you forced Allen in a playboy bunny suit..."_

_Arianna's eyes widened in realization, then a mischievous smile spread on her lips. Lenalee mentally apologised to Allen, realising the horror she had just unleashed._

_"Thanks for reminding me Lenalee."_

_"Uhhhh..."_

_The grey-haired girl got up from her seat, her eyes glinting._

_"~Oh Allen~", she sang..._

_**"~It's Bunny Day!~"**_

_**...**_

* * *

_**OK!**_

_**NOW THE END!**_

_**XD POOR ALLEN.**_

_**PLEASE REVIEW, AND I HOPE THAT THIS MAKES UP FOR MY PROCRASTINATION!**_

_**~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~**_


	21. Chapter 18: Company Arrives

**_HEY GUYS!_**

**_THANKS FOR BEING SUCH GOOD READERS :)_**

**_I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY THE NEXT CHAPTER!_**

**_A SHOUT OUT FOR bamafelix WHO'S OC IS GOING TO MAKE AN APPEARENCE (I HOPE THAT YOU LIKE THE OUTCOME, BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THE CONCEPT AND HOPE TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER :))_**

**_ENJOY_**

**_PS. I AM UP FOR ACCEPTING MORE OC! JUST PM ME THEIR BIO'S!_**

**_~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~_**

* * *

**_~A Few Days Later~_**

Arianna watched amusedly from the dining table as Lavi continued to throw Hanna up in the air. Her peals of laughter cut through the silence, filling the space with its carefree joy. Edward and Kristina watched with soft smiles as they sat on the couch, enjoying each other's comfort. Kristina leaned back into Edward's chest closing her eyes, probably relieved that one of her children was being entertained.

Edward's son, David, sat on his mother's lap as he watched with wide eyes. Although amused, one could see he was slightly jealous as he fidgeted in his seat. His childish icy blue eyes locked on Arianna, wonder and shyness gracing their surface.

He had seen Arianna during the festival, how she danced, and wondered how such a seemingly distant person could dance so beautifully...

like there wasn't a care in the world.

Suddenly, Arianna met his gaze with her silvery orbs that intrigued him so much. David flushed and looked down at his tiny hands. Kristina smiled down at her son, obviously thinking that his actions were adorable.

David looked at Arianna from under his eyelashes, unknowingly sending her one of the cutest looks that she had ever seen. She bristled, unable to tear her gaze away, much like when Allen would do his signature pout with puppy-dog eyes.

After a few moments of slightly awkward staring, Arianna let out a deep sigh and finally motioned for the young boy to come to her. David immediately lit up and hobbled towards her, holding up his arms.

Arianna bent down slightly and took him up onto her lap, his warmth radiated through her, it was strangely comforting (she wasn't used to physical affection...yeah...). Distracted by her little moment with David, she didn't notice that Lavi had stopped throwing Hana in the air, and that he was staring at her, his eye wide with shock.

A silly smile started to spread across his face...

_Oh dear god..._

Arianna mentally prepared herself...

in three...

two...

one...

_**"OH MY GOD, YOU'RE SO CUTE! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, I GOTTA TELL ALLEN!".**_

He continued to aww and squeal like a little girl in is excitement, blubbering away as he and Hana danced around. Edward and Kristina watched in amusement, Bookman, who was watching from the sidelines, suppressed a smile. But Arianna frowned, her once relaxed expression hardening as she glared at Lavi.

"How do you know about Allen, Lavi?"

Lavi froze in place, obviously realizing his slip up. His green eye shifted to Bookman, but Bookman only shot his a look clearly telling him that it was his problem. Edward and Kristina looked rather guilty, but not as much as Hanna.

Something in Arianna's mind clicked, she sent all of them a cold disapproving stare.

"Ok, let me rephrase that...", she said in a almost disturbingly calm voice, "...How do you _all_ know about Allen?..."

A silence filled the room, Hana shuffled her feet, her face rather pink. She looked up at Arianna, shooting her an apologetic, hopeful smile.

"I'm sorry Grey...We just wanted to know more about your family..."., she said rather quietly.

Cold anger flashed in Arianna's eyes, making them look molten silver. She calmly lifted David off of her lap and placed him on the floor as she stood up. Walking briskly towards the door, she pulled on her coat hiding her face in her hood.

Before anyone could protest, she walked out of the door, closing it with a loud slam. Lavi sighed, running his hand through his fiery red hair. Edward and Kristina looked at the door sadly, and Hana looked as if she was about to cry.

Bookman just shot them a tired look, as if telling them 'I told you so'.

**_They all knew it, they had crossed a line with Arianna..._**

**_and they weren't sure that they were ever going to see the care free dancing girl again._**

* * *

_Why did she feel so hurt? _

They were just demonstrating the worst in humanity like she had known all too well.

_But still..._

Arianna grumbled as she kicked the frosty ground, ignoring the guardians, who became agitated as she passed, as if they could feel her anger and hurt. Many of the villagers were off to work, as many small fishing boats dotted the brackish waters below.

The children, she assumed, were all in the small school-house on the other side of the town, learning what ever junk their teachers were trying to force into their brains. She let out an exhausted sigh, her breath coming out in a misty cloud in the pre winter air. Suddenly a horrible realization hit her like a train.

_She had come to trust them..._

_that's why it hurt her so much._

Her eyes widened in disgust, not much towards them, but towards herself. She knew that there were going to be exceptions, Allen, Lenalee, and the few others had proved that, but this was just a whole other level.

How could she had come to trust Lavi, the person who was responsible for the hell that was her life?! Or Edward's family, she had just met them, how could they had weaseled their way into her heart so easily?!

Arianna gritted her teeth, finally accepting what she had been trying to ignore all this time.

**_She was becoming a different person._**

* * *

**_~Meanwhile~_**

Caleb knew that his job was dangerous, that it meant that he was never going to be able to avoid death. But what he didn't realize, was that he was going to experience it first hand so soon. He panted as he and the small remaining group of finders huddled under the cover of trees. All of them were exhausted and riddled with wounds, some worse than others.

Caleb punched a nearby tree in frustration, causing the skin on his knuckles to spilt open, but he didn't care.

In the last 24 hours, he had seen almost half of his teammates killed by akuma as they pushed through the forest. It didn't matter that they didn't know each other very long. They all had families, loved ones, friends...

They all had lives, but now they were gone...

just like that.

They didn't even have bodies to bring to the order, seeing that the wind had blew them away as they succumbed to the akuma virus. Caleb knew that he was never going to forget the way they crumbled...

how their skin turned to ash.

The other finders scanned the area, their eyes wide with fear as they trembled, knowing that they were sitting ducks. Caleb knew it too, they weren't going to be able to last very much longer. There were exorcists positioned in the town they were desperately trying to get to, but they were still too far away to hope for any help.

It felt as if their hope was being sucked out of them, making the air colder than it actually was...

"Come on guys, we're almost there!"

They all turned to the cry, facing the young raven-haired exorcist whose startling violet eyes shone with determination. He shot them an encouraging smile, causing the faded scar on his right cheek to wrinkle slightly. A few of them returned his gesture of kindness with weak grins.

His name was Darrius Fair and he was around Caleb's age, and was just as tall. Like them, his exorcist cloak was covered in rips, blood lining the edges of some of them, showing that he was hurt.

But that didn't seem to faze him, and although his eyes shone with a hint of sadness, his determination and hope out shone them all. He leaned on his staff, which was his innocence. It made of what looked like mahogany, and appeared to be a mini totem pole, but Caleb knew that was just temporary.

They had all seen him in action, and that seemingly harmless native american-esque pole would transform into a weapon unlike any other they had seen before. It would grow to a size that one would think that no human being would be able to carry, and could split into projectiles that ripped through akuma like they were nothing. There was no doubt that it wasn't powerful, and it had earned the nickname of the "Holy Totem".

But no matter how powerful it was, he was just one person.

Caleb didn't blame Darrius for what had happened, he knew that it was irrational to think that it was his fault.

There was hundreds of akuma, and only one of him.

Finders could subdue, but they could not destroy.

He hoped that all of them felt the same way...

It wasn't fair to put that large burden on Darrius.

Caleb hadn't known Darrius for as long as the others, seeing that he joined the order a few months ago, but he was already good freinds with him. He was a extremely caring person, and greatly respected his colleagues. Unlike the others, Darrius acknowledged them and showed that he was grateful for their sacrifice, it made them feel like they had more self-worth.

The other's smiled as they listened to Darrius continue to give his signature motivational speech, the atmosphere slowly returning to a semi happy state. Distracted, they didn't notice a black figure sliding through the trees towards them.

The sudden shuffling of leaves made them alert, making them prep themselves for battle. From the corner of Caleb's eye, he could see Darrius hold his innocence in his hands, he could feel energy radiating from it.

The once carefree expression on Darrius's face was long gone, a serious and almost hateful one in its place.

But the black, inky creature didn't attack. It started to morph, taking shape into a more human appearance. At first it was a beautiful woman, then it was a child, then an animal. it kept changing it's shape, but it's glowing emerald-green eyes never left, causing them to watch in fascination and wariness. They didn't feel threatened at all, in fact, the creature seemed to wash all the darkness away, easing them and clearing their minds.

Now that they were uncorrupted with fear, anger, and sadness, they realized that the creature was.

It was one of the guardians that Lavi had told them about!

They immediately felt an almost overwhelming sense of relief. Caleb could swear that some of the finders were crying of joy. Darrius let out a deep sigh, a smile spreading across his face as he held his innocence by his side.

_They had made it._

**_They were safe._**

* * *

To say that Darrius was relieved was an understatement, he wasn't sure how much longer he could have gone on. And that wasn't even counting the well-being of the remaining finders, who looked even more battered up than he was.

He felt his heart twinge with guilt as he watched them limp through the forest, some supporting each other. He wished that he was stronger, so that he could have protected them all.

But that wasn't the case all the time, nothing could be that perfect in this profession. Don't get him wrong, Darrius loved his job. There was a very fulfilling feeling of accomplishment after every successful mission, he loved knowing that he had made a difference and had saved lives...

A smile spread across his face as he continued to walk behind the rest of the finders, protecting their rear from the akuma. He knew that the guardian would protect them from the front, seeing that it was leading them through the dense wood towards the village.

"You did good."

Darrius started at this, looking up at the person who spoke to him, instantly recognising the voice. Caleb smiled back at him, his green eyes shone with gratitude and respect. Darrius returned the smile, as he patted Caleb on the back.

"So, did you.", he replied playfully.

Without much warning, he put Caleb into a mock choke hold and mussed up his already pretty wild hair, making it fall out of it's usual make-shift ponytail. Caleb groaned in protest, trying to break away from Darrius's grasp, but failed miserably. Laughter filled the air as they continued their play wrestling at the back of the group, earning them amused stares from the others.

The guardian seemed to radiate more power as they all laughed, as if it was being powered by their happiness.

Caleb finally managed to break away from his friend's hold, and ran in ahead of the group, in attempts of sparing his head of anymore noogie-ing. He laughed as he watched Darrius chase after him, not paying attention where he was going until...

**_Wham!_**

Caleb stumbled and landed on something, a pained gasp issuing from it...

Ok, make that _someone_..

He opened his eyes, startled to see familiar silver ones staring right back at him. He felt his whole face go on fire as he realized who it was, seeing that they were basically nose to nose. He scrambled to his feet, desperate to get off of his young friend as Darrius and the others continued to laugh good-heartedly. The familiar form of Arianna let out a deep sigh of exasberation, rolling her eyes at his carelessness.

But then her eyes narrowed with seriousness as she took in their appearances. Caleb could see her evaluating their wounds, making a plan and deciding on priorities, much like a doctor would.

She gracefully pulled herself off of the ground, wiping the dirt off her finder coat and reclipping her bangs to the side with her signature cross pin. Turning to the guardian, she grudgingly gave it a nod of gratitude. It seemed to get her message and sped off to who know's where.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Darrius stare at Arianna thoughtfully, as if trying to figure her out. Caleb smirked with amusement, his friend had a hobby of reading people. He was very good at it and was normally never wrong, but Arianna was a whole other ball park.

It was definitely going to be interesting to see how his friends were going to interact with eachother.

"Come this way, we need to get those wounds wrapped up.", she said in her familiar, quiet bell-like tone.

Caleb unconsiously smiled at this, he never realized how much he had missed her voice, how much he missed her. Darrius shot him a knowing look, an amused smile spreading across his lips. He nudged Caleb in a suggestive way, wiggling his eye brows before adressing her.

"Why thank you beautiful, mystery girl", he said in a playful friendly voice, shooting Caleb another knowing gaze. Caleb turned pink and resisted the temptation to whack is friend upside the head.

Arianna raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment on their strange behavior. She didn't seemed to be phased by Darrius's comment, as if she was used to helpless flirting (even though Darrius's was obviously all play on the account of vexing Caleb).

"Your welcome, mystery exorcist.", she said after a moment of silence.

Caleb could hear the sarcasm in her voice, and noted the way she eyed Darrius's exorcist crest with slight distain, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Darrius seemed to noticed this too and became more mature instantly.

"What is your name?", he asked politely, shooting her a kind smile.

Arianna just rolled her eyes as she motioned for them to follow her into the town, she pulled up her hood hiding her face from view.

**_"You can call me Grey."_**

* * *

**_TO BAMAFELIX, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED BY THE WAY I PORTRAYED YOUR CHARACTER, AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO LET ME USE HIM THROUGHOUT THE STORY!_**

**_TO OTHERS, I ALSO HOPE THAT YOU ENJOUYED THIS CHAPTER!_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**_~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLINg~_**


	22. Chapter 19: Getting Somewhere

**HEY GUYS, **

**I COME WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER! ARIANNA'S FIRST MISSION ARC IS ALMOST AT A CLOSE! IT'S BEEN TAKING A LOT LONGER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD, BUT YA CAN'T RUSH DETAILS!**

**HOPE YA ENJOY!**

**~OmGiStHaDuMpLiNg~**

* * *

**~In_ Edward's Home~_**

A small line led from Edward's kitchen into the living room, baffling Hanna and David as bandaged men in strange coats slowly filed out of it. It was like an oven in their childish minds, injured men would go in, then bandaged men would come out. Lavi watched with a very serious expression, Edward did the same, there was no doubt that they were thinking the same thing...

_Was it really that bad outside of the town?_

and

_When would the guardians become over whelmed?_

From what they could get out of the remaining finders, there were large masses of level one akuma surrounding the entire boundary of the town. Luckily, they hadn't seen any level twos, but it was only a matter of time.

It was obvious that the group was only growing, which meant that they needed to find the "master" as soon as possible. Kristina handed out bowls of stew to those who were just treated, smiling at them encouragingly, trying to heighten their spirits.

"How many did they lose?", Edward asked solemnly, looking down at his feet, his arms crossed over his chest.

Lavi scanned the room, observing the empty expressions of the men. Their eyes filled with fear, loss, and undiluted pain that often characterized the outcome of their work. They all fumbled with their spoons, unable to eat due to their trembling fingers. He let out a deep sigh before looking back at Edward, his normally playful attitude was long gone.

**_"Too many..."_**

* * *

**_~Meanwhile, in the Kitchen~_**

"Urrrrghhh...Watch it, little girl!", the man exclaimed.

He was in his late thirties and faint wrinkles lined his brow, which deepened as Arianna closed another stitch on his skin. Running his hand through his thinning, dirt spattered hair, he glowed at her, as if he couldn't believe that he was being treated by a barely 13 year-old girl. Arianna could tell immediately that this man was sexist, ignorant, and pig-headed.

Her eyes flashed dangerously as she continued to stitch up his wound, trying to ignore his constant flow of insults and bigot comments. She clenched her teeth as she inwardly thought that this man was a waste of space, unworthy of living, and an insult to his comrades who died. Darrius watched disapprovingly from the sidelines, leaning against one of the counters in silence, his hands in his pockets.

As she moved onto his next gash, the finder issued an extremely inappropriate and nasty comment, effectively pissing her off even more. From the corner of her eye, she saw Darrius started to step forward. But she didn't need any saving, and she didn't want him getting the wrong idea, any of them in fact. They watched tiredly from the sidelines, and gave her a look that said that they thought she was just the best deal out of bad ones.

It was rather insulting...

She tightened her grasp on the man causing him to cry out in pain, he froze when he met her eyes. They looked at him with such cold, borderline murderous intent it made him retreat slightly in fear, they had the same effect as if she were threatening him with a knife pressed to his throat.

"You are a disgrace of a man...", she said quietly, and as cold as ice.

The other wounded finders in the room watched transfixed, unable to believe that such a small girl was intimidating a man more than three times her superior. Darrius watched just as amazed, an eyebrow raised as he took in the scene, his violet eyes sparking with curiosity.

"You think you are a survivor, my superior.", she continued as she tightened her grip.

The man stared back at her with wide eyes, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he leaned away from her advances. Slowly she rolled up her sleeves, revealing lines upon lines of scars. Paler than her skin and various in size, they looked as if they were spider webs etched into her skin, it was obvious they continued up her arms...

"Each of these scars, I stitched them up my self.", she said as she glowered, "I am covered in them, and I still remember the pain.".

The finders all stared in horror, Darrius looked vaguely sick. They couldn't believe that some one so young could have so many scars, just what did this girl go through?!

"Every scar represents all I have sacrificed and endured for the sake of my family...my loved ones.", she exclaimed as she continued to chastise the man, "Who do you fight for? Yourself!".

The man opened his mouth, as if he was trying to retort, but nothing came out. He looked like a fish out of water as his eyes shifted between her and his teammates. They avoided his gaze, because they knew it was true.

"While your friends stand her wounded, here you are complaining and acting like a spoiled child.", she spat grabbing him by the front of his jacket, bringing him close to her face.

"I-I-II...", he stuttered, absolutely terrified by the girl in front of him.

"You don't want my help...fine.", she said with a tone of finality, "Don't waste my time and stitch yourself up!".

Thrusting the needle, thread and bandages in his hands, she proceeded in grabbing him by the back of the jacket and led him to the door. Without a moment of hesitation, she kicked him out of the room, and slammed the door behind him.

Darrius stared at her, his mouth slightly open in shock. Never before had he seen someone so young act so mature, it was if she was an adult trapped in a young body.

Her eyes seemed to shine with a knowing light, as if she knew how horrible the world was and that she had come to accept it. There was no childish spark in those silver orbs, just cold understanding and fiery determination. She was either the strongest person he had ever met, or the most vulnerable, he could see why Caleb was intrigued by her.

Although there was a chilling, serious, almost dangerous aura to her, he couldn't help but gravitate towards her. He had the feeling that she was going to be the hardest puzzle for him to solve.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched her work furiously on the next finder, who squirmed under her touch.

**_No matter..._**

**_He loved puzzles._**

* * *

**_~In the Living Room~_**

"Sorry Richard, I should have told you about Grey...she can be rather harsh", Caleb said softly as he helped his teammate wrap the rest of his wounds.

Richard just grunted, avoiding his concerned gaze, his lips were pressed into a grim line and a hint of shame shone in his beady eyes. The other's seemed to perk up at his comment, they all leaned towards him and eyed him curiously.

"How do ya know about her?", Jacob asked incredulously, as if he couldn't believe the demon child had any friends. The others nodded in agreement, causing Caleb to sweat-drop. He turned slightly pink, not used to this much attention. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, avoiding their gaze.

"She's my friend...", he said quietly.

They all gaped at him, their eyes wide with disbelief, their stew laid forgotten on their laps. Lavi watched from the sidelines with Bookman, his eye brow raised with the same awed curiosity.

A shocked silence filled the room.

"She's my friend too!", a childish voice chimed in.

They looked down, staring at the small form of David. His tiny hands clenched in tiny fists by his side and his icy blue eyes shined with determination. He stood up straighter, as if trying to appear taller.

"You were a meany to her, so I'm gonna be a meany to you!", he exclaimed as he pointed at Richard before sticking out his small, pink tongue. Hanna chose this time to intrude, she stood by her little brother, her head just as high.

"I'm her friend too!", she said defiantly, her honey colored eyes narrowing at the finders, making them feel increasingly ashamed of themselves, "So stop being so rude!" Lavi and Bookman watched in amusement, as the finders were being lectured by the children.

Edward and Kristina watched in amazement, proud of their kid's boldness to stand up for Arianna.

* * *

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Arianna busied herself with finishing her last patient, Darrius.

He let her work in relative silence, which was surprising seeing how he had acted beforehand. But she was so focused on cleaning a rather nasty gash on his arm, she didn't notice how he was staring at her, trying to figure her out.

"So what's your real name, Grey?", he asked suddenly, the same playful tone clear in his voice as when he talked to the others. She started at this, not expecting him to ask something like that out of the blue.

Sure, many people gave her odd looks when she introduced herself, but they had never had the audacity in pressing the topic any further. She pierced his skin with the needle rather harsher than she intented to out of her momentary shock, causing him to grunt in pain.

"To you, it's Grey..._only_ Grey.", she said cooly as she quickly focused back on her work. Darrius rubbed his chin naturedly, his violet eyes shining with mischief. An awkward silence filled the kitchen as she continued to bandage up his remaining wounds.

"And to Caleb?", he asked suggestively, as he shot her a smile almost identical to Lavi's with an eyebrow raised. Arianna looked up at him, just finishing up his bandages, she shot him a warning glare before answering, still rather flustered.

"Ar...just Grey...", she responded with a little less composure than she had with his teammates.

He smiled in amusement and ruffled her curly hair, causing her bangs to fall into her face. She stared at him wide-eyed in shock, obviously never expecting him to dare to do anything that bold. She turned slightly pink before her eyes sharpened and she slapped his hand away.

He laughed as he watched her storm out of the room, the tips of her ears pink out of shock and from his seat on the table, he rolled down his sleeves tentatively, avoiding brushing against his freshly cleaned wounds. He let out an amused sigh as he brushed his black hair from his eyes.

"Why aren't you filling up your reports! you call yourselves' finders?!", he heard Arianna's bell voice exclaim from the other room.

He snorted as he pictured the other's reactions, clearly picturing the men cower beneath the young girl. But he was not a cruel man, so he bent down to pick up his holy totem and pushed the door open, entering the living room.

* * *

**_~Later~_**

It was well into the night, and Arianna was fuming.

She filled out piles upon piles of paperwork, being the perfectionist she was, she couldn't sleep untill she got every detail just right. Scribbling madly on paper after paper, she didn't notice Hanna sneak up behind her from behind the couch. She watched silently, her childish eyes shone with slight concern among shame.

"Grey...", she said quietly, causing Arianna to jump from shock. After slowing her breathing and recompensing herself, she turned to face the young girl. She was shocked to see that there were tears welling up in Hanna's eyes.

"Yeah...", she replied slowly, not sure what to do in this situation. Arianna didn't have much experience with children. Ok. Make that no experience. But you can't blame the girl, she had spent most of her life with people older than her...

What Hanna said next completely took her off guard.

"I'm sorry...", she cried, wiping her tears with her small hands.

Arianna didn't know how to respond, the look in Hanna's eyes was as genuine as Allen's, there was no doubt that she wasn't lying. She let out a deep sigh, her sharp gaze softening just a smidge as she beckoned Hanna to come to her. Hanna approached her tentatively, unsure what her reaction was going to be. Arianna just pushed her paper work aside and brought Hanna up onto her lap, rocking her slightly. It had worked with David, so she reasoned that it would have the same effect on Hanna.

Hanna let out a wide yawn, her honey colored eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Slowly, to Arianna's rocking, she fell asleep. Gently, Arianna placed her on the couch, and pulled a blanket over her. She walked stealthily out of the room and towards the stairs to her room. Before starting to climb them, she turned to look back at the sleeping child.

"It's Ok...", she whispered after her.

Then she quickly whipped around and hurried up the stairs and into her room.

_Yeah_, she thought.

**_It's OK..._**

* * *

**_~The Next Morning~_**

The next morning was rather uneventful, the group of finders sat awkwardly around the dining table as Kristina served them breakfast. Darrius and Lavi watched on the sidelines, exchanging uncharacteristic polite small talk.

Arianna ate her porridge as she looked over the last bits of the reports from last night, there were bags under her eyes and looked rather exhausted. Hanna sat happily on Arianna's lap, looking out of place as she hummed a native tune.

Honestly, Caleb was surprised that Arianna hadn't mauled the little girl yet.

He fumbled with his bandages, only to be swatted by Arianna who shot him a disapproving glare.

"Don't mess up my work...", she hissed, looking rather sleep deprived.

He immediately stopped, much to Darrius's amusement, who snickered from the sidelines. Caleb glowered at him, feeling rather childish. The guy had to give him a break, he hadn't seen what Arianna could do. So much as a toe out of line, she would send you straight to hell.

Although a tiny voice in the back of his head agreed that it was a bit emasculation...

With a small sigh, Arianna stood up, much to Hanna's dismay. She quickly threw them all their finder backpacks and freshly laundered uniforms. They all stared at her, not knowing how to act around her ever-changing moods. It was like treading water with sharks swimming around you. With her slightly unstable from lack of sleep they didn't want to know how dangerous she could be.

"We need to get back to work.", she said firmly as she pulled on her own backpack and Jacket, bringing the hood up to cover her face."Everyone splt into groups and search different sections of town." Hanna protested and grabbed onto Arianna's hand, they all watched with hitched breaths.

They couldn't see Arianna's expression since her face was covered by her hood, but they could only imagine her cold murderous glare. So they were even more shocked when Arianna sighed in defeat and tightened her grasp on Hanna.

"Fine, you can come. You probably know more your town better than I would, you could help my search.", she said practically. Caleb raised an eyebrow, a small smile threatening to spread across his face.

could it be that Arianna had a soft spot for children?

He exchanged looked with Darrius, who probably came up with the same inference. They were so engaged in their mental bromance conversation that they didn't notice that Arianna and the others had left them behind. Darrius called after them, earning him laughs and "Get your ass out here" comments. They hurried out of the house, racing each other to get to their groups.

Although the situation was rather depressing, it was nice to still be able to feel like normal teens for a change.

They grinned at each other as they met up with their teammates and headed opposite directions. It was as if the night of sleep and medical attention from Arianna had uplifted their spirits, Caleb knew that it did for him.

He was ready to face the day.

* * *

**_~With Arianna and Hanna~_**

"Where are we going, Hanna?", Arianna asked, starting to get slightly annoyed. It had been a few hours and all they did was explore the forest. Hanna remained silent and continued to lead them deeper along the trail, her honey colored eyes sparkling with childish mischief.

Suddenly Arianna realized where they were and where they were heading, it was rather obvious and she mentally chastised herself for not noticing earlier.

"Hanna, why are we going to visit ?", she asked lightly, trying to make sense of their journey. Hanna smiled brightly at her, and took Arianna by the hand and hurried her to continue to walk forward.

"We're going to visit my friend!", she exclaimed excitedly as her smile widened. Arianna frowned and debated whether or not to force Hanna to turn back. But decided to humor her for the time being, seeing that if she did, Hanna would undeniably have a temper tantrum. She was also curious what could be so special about Hanna's friend that she wanted to her to meet them. Arianna knew that Hanna was a relatively mature for her age, and that she wouldn't make her do something unless it was important.

After another half hour of walking, they reached the same clearing and small manor Arianna visited on her first day in Rakkeby. It was as beautiful as it was when she first came, she had to force herself not to get caught up in its wonderful scenery...

to lounge in the soft grass under the gentle rays of the sun.

Hanna raced ahead knocked excitedly on the door. They could hear 's footsteps coming to greet them. Arianna turned to look down at Hanna, finally asking her what she was thinking for the last hour and a half.

"Who's your friend?"

Hanna smiled brightly and turned to her as she knocked again. "You'll like him!", she said happily, her eyes shining. Just then, opened the door. He smiled warmly down at them and ushered then inside.

"It's very nice to see you Hanna, Grey...", he said kindly as he closed the door with a soft click.

**_"You must be here to see Mathias."_**

* * *

**_I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!_**

**_IT WAS A LOT MORE DARRIUS AND CALEB FOCUSED THAN ARIANNA FOCUSSED._**

**_DON'T WORRY, BECAUSE I MISS THE WHITE HAIRED GENTLEMAN SO MUCH, THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON ALLEN AND LENALEE'S MISSION, ALONG WITH THE NOAH FAMILY!_**

**_THEN THE CHAPTER AFTER THAT SHOULD END ARIANNA'S FIRST MISSION ARC._**

**_HOPE TO WRITE TO YA GUYS SOON, _**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!_**

**_~OmGiStHaTaDuMpLiNg~_**


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